Someday
by Sarah K.R
Summary: The men of SOLDIER thought they were the best of the best, but now they're about to discover Shinra's secret weapons: Three Female SOLDIER operatives. Can the men cope with these girls suddenly living in their world or will they fall to the girls' charms?
1. A General and Her Lieutenants

**Hello and welcome to my newest story, 'Someday', a Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction! :) This story has been so much fun to write and I can only hope anyone reading, and hopefully reviewing, will love it just like I do. Anyway, this is a story full of AU, OOC, and OC's. The only thing I own in this story besides the plot and my lovely OC's making their second rounds through a Final Fantasy story. Excuse me for any confusion, misspelling, or anything else.**

**So, on with the show?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters.**

* * *

**Chapter One:**

**A General and Her Lieutenants**

Zack Fair rolled his Mako blue eyes, his 1st Class SOLDIER uniform snug on his nearly perfect body as he stretched. He ran a hand through his spiky black hair, "Do we _have_ to go to this meeting? All Lazard does is talk about ratios that we don't understand."

Angeal Hewley, Zack's mentor and fellow 1st Class, yawned as they walked down the hall, "We don't really have a choice. I mean, he _finds_ us if we don't go."

The older man's Mako blue eyes and dark hair made him look like Zack's dad. The other man walking with them looked like Zack's brother, only he was blond.

Cloud Strife shook his head; he had just been made a 2nd Class a few months back; and looked at his friends, "It's just a meeting."

Zack and even Angeal stopped to give Cloud a long look. Zack exclaimed loudly, "Have you ever _heard_ one of Lazard's lectures!"

"Uh, no?" Cloud said with a 'duh' expression on his face, "I just qualified to even be in these meetings."

Genesis Rhapsodos walked down the hall towards them, a book in hand, "_'Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess…'_"

The young man flipped a piece of his copper hair out of his Mako colored eyes, "Good afternoon, gentlemen."

Zack snickered, "He forgot."

Angeal sighed, "He forgot."

Genesis snapped his book shut, "I forgot what exactly?"

"The meeting we're all late for," a deep voice answered from behind them. They all greeted their tall, silver haired friend; Sephiroth. He was the only SOLDIER with green eyes; an affect of Mako transfusions made blue eyes nearly absolute in SOLDIER; but he was also the most deadly- "Could we get a move on?"

The five SOLDIERs made their way down the hall, but Zack had to know, "Why are _you_ late, Sephy?"

Sephiroth glared, causing Zack to inch back, "Do not call me that and it is none of your business."

Genesis rolled his eyes dramatically, "He was napping, most likely."

Sephiroth sighed, fingers pressed to his head in irritation, "Shut up."

"Yes, sir!" Zack mocked.

The five slipped into the meeting, but Lazard made a motion for the five of them to stay afterwards. When the meeting was over Lazard stalked over to them, "Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud. Why were you late?"

Zack pointed, "Gen and Angeal were late, too!"

"Yes, but they're always late," Lazard brushed aside, "Now why were you three late?"

There was a beat of silence and then Genesis said, "Sephiroth was napping."

Sephiroth shot a glare at his friend, but Lazard sighed, "The three of you will be punished…but until I sort out this other affair I will let you go. Get out of here now."

The five left promptly, Zack grinned, "That went oddly well!"

Angeal clapped his student on the back, "Yes, but with Lazard it's always worse later."

The five went to a bar called 7th Heaven and had drinks for awhile, chatting with the bar's owner and keep, Tifa Lockheart, celebrating not being punished. They sat at the crowded bar, Tifa standing in front of them as she said, "So, you're going to be punished, but you don't know how?"

"Yep," Zack said, taking a sip of his beer.

Angeal laughed suddenly, "Maybe the Puppy is hoping for training?"

Zack scowled at the nickname, "Bite me!"

Cloud looked thoughtful, "I wonder what's going to happen…"

Little did they know, their lives were about to completely change…

* * *

"Sarah, I don't want to be here in Midgar!" Rosa whined loudly as she got off the train. The tan girl flipped her long, wavy brown hair over her shoulder as her hazel eyes flashed in irritation. She sat her suitcase on the platform, looking at her friend as she exited the train as well.

Sarah Neil crossed her arms, backpack thrown over her shoulder, "Well, deal with it. It isn't my fault the base in Wutai was discovered, was it?"

Sarah's dark, almost black, brown hair fell across her left eyes and touched down to her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes showed slight excitement as she turned back to the train's exit, "Come on, General Smartass."

I stepped off the train, bronze hair blowing around wildly from the steam coming from the train. I rolled my emerald eyes as I threw my bag over my shoulder, "So sue me. I left the Firaga Materia by the flammable tank and it set the building on fire, alerting the Wutai forces. It was an accident."

I was named Sarah Kathleen Davis, while I did share my first name with Sarah Neil, that was where the similarities more or less ended. I was known as Kathleen to avoid confusion, and I held the highest position as General amongst the three of us.

Sarah and Rosa snickered at me. We all three messed with our necklaces that held the symbol of our offices in SOLDIER as I said, "Let's head to HQ."

We each had our symbols as the only female 1st Class SOLDIERs, but that did us no good unless we showed up with _three_ members.

Rosa had suddenly disappeared into the street.

I looked at Sarah as we walked, looking for the tan girl, "How much you wanna bet the first thing she says about HQ is 'I hope there are hot guys'?"

Sarah gave me a long look, "I bet you five Gil that she says something else."

I shook her hand, "Deal."

Sarah exhaled, looking around for our tan friend, but we didn't have to look much longer when Rosa's voice echoed, "Oh my Goddess! I want to see it! PLEASE can we see it!"

Sarah and I walked around the corner to see Rosa jumping and pointing at the huge board that said LOVELESS. Rosa had changed out of her uniform, in typical Rosa fashion, because she was in a skimpy black dress, but was still wearing her SOLDIER necklace at least.

She pointed wildly at the billboard, "PLEASE? Sarah? Kathleen?"

"No," Sarah said at the same time I said, "Maybe."

We looked at each other and then Rosa smirked, "Yay!"

Sarah looked at me, "Why must you always undermine me?"

"Because I'm General…and it's fun. You turn funny colors like right now, I've never seen you puce before," I snorted as I walked back around the corner, Rosa and Sarah in tow.

Sarah shouted furiously, "I am NOT puce! It's…more of a blue color!"

"Puce, plum, what's the difference? They're all colors in the end," Rosa shrugged, skipping up to the front of the group and then pointed at the huge building ahead, "That's HQ, right?"

We nodded, "Yeah."

Rosa squealed, "Ah! I hope there are hot guys!"

I looked at Sarah, "I completely called that."

Sarah sighed handing me five Gil, "Yeah, you did."

Rosa crowed happily as she ran to the building, "Let's go!"

Once at the doors, the three of us looked for the Director. We found him as he exited an elevator, I led them over to him. Lazard smiled at us, "Kathleen, Sarah, and Rosa. I didn't expect you for another day or two."

"The authorities begged us to go after Rosa kept chasing their errand boy," Sarah explained, giving Rosa a look.

Rosa shrieked, "WHAT? He was hot!"

Lazard chuckled, handing us each a pink slip of paper as he said, "I've made arrangements for you all. It was last second so forgive me, but you'll have to room with some of our 1st and 2nd Classes in the building. We had no empty rooms or I would have put you all together, but…"

I shrugged, "It's okay."

Lazard looked at me, "Are you ready to give your Official Statement on what happened at Wutai?"

I made a face, causing the girls to laugh, "Err…Sure…Why not? No time to die like the present, right?"

The last thing I'm sure Sarah and Rosa heard as I walked away was me saying, "So I _can't_ be executed for this, right?"

* * *

Sarah looked at Rosa, "Well, let's go to our rooms."

Rosa carried her suitcase behind her, frowning deeply, "I really hope my roommate is a hot guy."

Sarah shook her head, _'Always thinking about men…Well, it's better than the alternative, I guess…' _"Well, at least you know it is a guy. I mean, HQ doesn't train women. We're the only three."

"That is so stupid," Rosa remarked, "Not letting women in at HQ. I mean, dear Goddess! That guy that came out to Wutai from here, the guy who trains the 1sts? Even _he_ said General was at par with 'the great Sephiroth', if not _better_ than him! And even you or I give her a hard time in the sparring ring if she's not paying attention."

Sarah shrugged as they got on the elevator, "Well, they don't. That's why Lazard sent us out to Wutai-Wait. You don't think Kathleen blew up the Wutai Base…on purpose do you? To get to HQ?"

Rosa's eyes widened slightly, "You don't think so? Nah, she wouldn't…Would she?"

Sarah frowned thoughtfully, "I don't know…She's always wanted to compete with the others…Destroying the Wutai Base would be the key way to get us out…"

Rosa shook her head, "Nah, I'm not going to think about it."

Sarah nodded, "You're right." _'Or rather, I won't talk about it, but I will totally be thinking about it…'_

The elevator hit floor six and they walked out, Rosa looked at her memo, "Mine says room 696..."

"Ominous, isn't it?" Sarah joked, "Mine is 617."

The numbers started at 699 and went down so Rosa reached her room first, Sarah went on to hers. Both girls met in the middle of the hallway moments later after unpacking.

"There's no one here," Rosa said, a frown on her face.

Sarah nodded, "Weird…We should wait for Kathleen."

"Yeah!" Rosa exclaimed happily.

They didn't realize that their leader was currently in trouble…

* * *

I crossed my arms as I leaned back in the chair in front of Lazard's desk, at a complete loss for words as Lazard glared at me. I brushed my hair out of my eyes and looked at him as he said, "Okay, now one more time…You did WHAT?"

"Okay," I said, sitting up and leaning on the desk with my hands clasped together, slightly pushing back the name plate that said, 'Director Lazard Deusericus', "I was using the Firaga Materia and I set it down. I walked away because the alarms were going off about a breach in security. When I came back to the hallway it was all in flames, I believe I set the Materia next to a flammable tank-it then proceeded to take out the rest of the building."

Lazard ran a white gloved hand over his face slowly, "You destroyed the Wutai Base…"

"It was an accident," I defended.

He shook his head slowly, "So what is the _actual _report we're giving to the President?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Wutai attacked or arsonists? Who cares? Tell him the truth!"

Lazard shook his head, "You'll be dishonorably discharged from SOLDIER. You should know better than I that people don't just _walk away_ from SOLDIER or Shinra. They'll kill you or throw you in prison for the rest of your life!"

I sighed, "Give me the paper work. I'll go with 'currently under investigation'."

Lazard nodded solemnly, "That sounds fine."

Once I was done with the paper work I stood up and turned to leave, "How long will we be stationed here?"

"As long as it takes to rebuild your division, General," Lazard replied, giving me a long look, "We'll try to rebuild as quickly as possible. Just…please don't blow up HQ as well…"

I snorted, "Yeah, I won't."

Then I walked out of his office and headed toward the elevator. I got on with my bag, riding down to the living quarters. Once I was off I saw Sarah and Rosa waiting for me at the end of the hall, I looked at my paper that read Room 618 and headed their way. Sarah was the first to speak, "How'd it go?"

I shrugged, "As well as I expected. He yelled, I shrugged, we signed papers, and now I'm free to go."

She frowned, "You didn't blow up HQ on purpose did you?"

I snorted, "Yeah right. If I did then I certainly didn't think this one through because this sucks!"

Rosa looked at Sarah, "Told you she didn't do it on purpose."

I opened my door and they followed me in, I threw my bag onto my bed before turning to them, "There has to be a bar or something near by because I seriously need a drink."

They laughed at me, but like always, Rosa came through for me, "There's this place called 7th Heaven nearby. I heard it's pretty awesome."

Sarah frowned, "When did you hear this?"

"On the train, duh," Rosa answered.

I looked at Sarah, "You know you had that coming."

She waved me off as we left the room, "Eh, I knew nothing."

We got onto the elevator and headed back down stairs, as we went to leave we passed a group of men. One of them was tall, young, handsome, dark haired, and extremely drunk-he leaned over and threw an arm around Sarah, "Hey, chicky! Never seen you before…"

She stared at him in disgust, "Excuse me?"

A blond man yanked him off of her, "Excuse him. He's drunk. Sorry…"

The five got into the elevator and disappeared out of our sight. Rosa only snorted, causing us to look at her.

She only shook her head, "Wouldn't it suck if you got roomed with _him_?"

* * *

**And there is Chapter One! :) I hope things haven't gotten too confusing just yet, but things will make sense soon enough. **

**Review and make my day, please? :)**

**~Sarah~**

_First Posting 2/2/2011_


	2. An Unforgettable Meeting

**Thank you to axelxroxie, HaveSupra, and Benevolence K for the wonderful reviews for Chapter One! **

**So, things are going to get a little bit crazy in this chapter, but hopefully our lovely heroes will be able to sort things out. :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy in any way, shape, or form then Cloud would be mine...and he isn't. :(**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**An Unforgettable Meeting**

I laughed loudly as Rosa waved her arms around, reenacting something that had happened eons ago. The barkeep, Tifa, laughed as she listened to the story, and Rosa went on, "…and then Kathleen goes and says, 'Rosa, you know you can't freaking fly so get off that damned ledge!'"

Sarah and Tifa roared in laughter, I rolled my eyes as Rosa snorted, "That is the only time Kat ever go so freaking smashed that she was hallucinating!"

Tifa brushed her long dark hair back, her dark brown eyes full of merriment, "I just can't imagine you drinking so much!"

I laughed, "That night sucked so bad…"

Sarah gave me a long sympathetic look, "But you'd just broken up with _him_."

"Oh, yeah! The Turk!" Rosa said, squinting as she took another drink of her alcohol. I made a face at her and then she backtracked, "Crap. Sorry, Kat."

I exhaled, "It was…a long time ago. Who cares?"

Tifa put another drink in front of me, "Apparently it wasn't that long ago. Have another one, girl."

I laughed, taking the drink, "Thanks."

Tifa sighed, leaning against the bar, "No problem. Either way, you know. Midgar is central for hot guys because of Shin-Ra. I hate the company, but do they know men or what?"

I snorted, elbowing Sarah, "Yeah, someone's got a hot guy in the Shin-Ra building already!"

Tifa's eyes got huge, "No way! Who!"

Sarah scoffed, her eyes large as well, "KAT! Ugh! He was so…"

"HOT!" Rosa screeched, we stared at her as she defended, "What? He was! He was just drunk!"

I snorted, staggering to my feet, "Okay, someone's had way too much to drink… Time to go back."

"Hey, where are you guys staying?" Tifa asked, "You'll come back by, won't you? You guys are loads of fun."

Sarah nodded, "Yeah, I've got a feeling that we'll be here a lot more. We're down the street. Big building, can't miss it."

We laughed as we headed back to the Shin-Ra building, somehow managing to make it to our hallway. I wandered down to my room and opened the door, I stumbled- accidentally slamming the door behind me. There was already a light on, but on the way toward it I tripped-slamming right into something hard.

A something that was actually a somebody, a very hot looking somebody. The blond haired man from earlier looked down at me, his bright blue eyes were wide, "Um… Hello?"

I felt a goofy grin on my face, "Whoa…You're kinda pretty."

He snorted, "Oh lord. You're just as drunk as I think am I, aren't you?"

I laughed softly, looking up at his strangely handsome face, "Oh, you've got no idea, buddy. Just let me go to my bed and-"

"Then let me take you-" he tried, but I tried to pull away from him.

I shook my head, pointing behind him, "No, my stuff is in there. R-Room 618, sixth floor of the Shin-Ra building."

He looked disoriented, but then let me by. I flopped down on top of my bag and hugged it, "Nighty night!"

Then I was out.

* * *

Sarah fumbled with her keys, finally getting the door open after a minute and walking in. She slammed the door and kept walking in, keeping one hand on the wall. The black haired young man from earlier came out of the kitchenette with a pretzel in his mouth, "Hey. You're that hot chick from earlier, right?"

She snorted before bursting into full blown laughter, "Dude, you _are _hot!"

He laughed as well, "Thanks!"

He ate his pretzel and then put an arm around Sarah's shoulders, "So, whatcha doing here?"

"I live here," she said, giving him a long look.

He smirked, "Okie dokie then!"

They walked off to the beds and turned off the lights…

* * *

Rosa only walked into her room and flopped down in the floor, where she'd thrown her suitcase. She snuggled up to it and fell in the floor, murmuring to herself, "Night, suitcase lover!"

* * *

The next morning, Sarah frowned, looking around with a look of confusion on her face as she sat up. Then she looked down, eyes wide in terror until she realized she had her clothes on. She was just laying on top of some stranger in a bed. She vaguely recognized him, hadn't she seen him yesterday?

But then the headache started pounding in her head. She moved to get off of him, but his hands suddenly flew up and grabbed her wrists. His Mako blue eyes stared up at her, "What the hell? Who are you?"

Sarah scowled, her dark hair falling in her face as she glared down at him, "I'm Sarah and I want you to let go of me."

"Why don't I remember you?" He asked.

She sneered angrily, "Let me go."

He released her and let Sarah sit on the bed on the other side of the room, glaring at one another. The dark haired man sat up, staring at Sarah, "Okay, now please tell me who you are, how you got in here, and what's going on."

Sarah rolled her eyes, grabbing her backpack as she looked for her toothbrush, "In order. My name is Sarah Neil, I got in with my key, and apparently we were both so freaking drunk that we fell asleep on your bed. Now, who the hell are you?"

The man ran a hand through his hair, "You have a key?"

"Who. Are. You?" Sarah repeated, crossing her arms and glared.

He rolled his eyes this time, "I'm Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st Class."

"Now, was that so hard?" Sarah sneered in irritation, "I have a key because I live here as of yesterday."

"Psh," Zack said, "No you don't."

"Psh," Sarah scoffed, "Yes I do. I have a key and my orders."

She dug through her bag and handed him her papers, "Here, dipspit. Look for yourself."

Zack took the papers read them over and said, "WHAT?"

Sarah smirked, "Welcome home."

* * *

"What the hell are you doing in my room?"

Rosa opened her eyes, glaring up at the silver haired man gazing down at her, "What the heck do you want? Let me sleep, moron."

The man's glare intensified, "I am about to lose my temper. Tell me now."

Rosa sat up, an insane headache beginning along with the need to hurl. She glared at the silver haired man, "I have pa-urk…I mean I've got papers that say I live here. My General and team arrived yesterday. The Director said so."

He frowned deeply, "Let me see these papers."

She handed them to the man and watched his face suddenly become enraged. He threw the papers down by her and stormed out the door. Rosa frowned, "What the heck is his problem?"

Then the next thing she heard from outside was-

"LAZARD! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!"

* * *

I groaned softly, my arm over my eyes as I rolled onto my side as a sound woke me. The sun's glare through the window hurt my eyes when I finally removed my arm. I peered over at the other bed and saw a muscled back facing me.

My first conscience thought was, _'Oh Hell, what have I done now?' _and then the second was, _'Thank God, I'm in a different bed.'_

I straightened my uniform as I sat up, rubbing my eyes, "Damn hangover…"

Then I put everything together in my mind. I, unlike my brilliant coworkers and friends, could recall most details from my drunken escapades. I frowned, a hand to my forehead and I bent over the side of my bed, looking for the aspirin in my backpack. I heard a rustling and just knew I'd have to go through a 'Who are you? What're you doing here?' conversation.

I fought with the stupid bottle for a couple minutes and then I heard a soft, calm voice say, "Do you need help with that or something?"

I froze, looking up at the blond haired man with the gorgeous blue eyes. He blinked, I stared, and then finally he said, "Are…you all right?"

I slowly leaned over to hand him the bottle, watching as he unscrewed the stupid child safety. He looked at me, "Do you mind if I…?" I shook my head mutely and he smiled, "Thanks."

He took two or three pills before handing the bottle back to me, I took two and then looked at him, "You're not…freaked out that some chick is in your room?"

He sighed, flopping down on his pillow again, "Nope. I may not know what your name is, but I remember last night. I'm at my worst _while_ I'm drinking. After wards my memory is pretty clear."

"So you remember me…falling into your room like an idiot?" I asked, wincing at the thought of this poor man having to deal with a drunken me.

"Yeah, and if you were wondering you didn't make an idiot out of yourself. You just kept telling me you lived here," he said, running his hands over his face, "So, after I remembered the backpack in here and I figured that you were probably right."

I smiled, "Thanks…It could have been a lot worse had you been anyone else."

He snorted, "Yeah, Zack or Genesis and you probably would've woken up confused and naked. Those two will jump on any woman that walks, inebriated or not."

I laughed, swinging my legs off the side of my bed to face him fully, "Might I know the name of my so said rescuer?"

The blond grinned, "I'm Cloud Strife, 2nd Class SOLDIER."

I nodded, "I'm Sarah Davis, 1st Class SOLDIER, but everyone calls me Kathleen."

Cloud gaped at me, "No way."

I frowned, "What?"

"They don't let women in SOLDIER," Cloud said, a deep frown on his face now.

I held up my SOLDIER symbol on my necklace and found my papers in my bag, handing them off to him, "Signed by the Director himself."

Cloud read them over before handing them back to me, regarding me differently now, "Huh. Who would've thought? Female SOLDIERs…"

I smirked, "I can guarantee you that however hard you worked to get to 2nd Class, it was about six times harder for me and my girls. Just because we're women doesn't mean they go easy on us. It makes them get even tougher, they don't want weaklings so they make us stronger than the average SOLDIER 1st Class. Especially a General, such as myself."

Cloud looked at me with admiration on his face, "Just like Sephiroth. Awesome."

I opened my mouth to say something when the door flew open, a horde of sounds came in as an older looking man with dark hair slammed the door shut and locked it. He looked at Cloud and then me with bright blue eyes, "G-General Kathleen?"

I nodded slowly, looking at Cloud. The blond frowned at the man, "Angeal? What's wrong?"

Angeal slumped against the door and slid to the floor, "P-People a-are driving me c-crazy…"

I stood up, realization hitting me, "…Is this about my team?"

The man nodded silently as he tried to take a breath, and I only said, "Is that what the screaming is about?"

He nodded again, "Yeah."

I ground my teeth and helped him up, "Sorry about this."

Angeal watched me as I flung the door open and stood in the middle of the hallway, "NEIL! SALDIVAR!"

Everything went weirdly quiet and then two doors opened slowly…Two pairs of eyes looked at me and I glared at both, "Get over here _now_."

Sarah was more confident than Rosa, she strode over to me from across the hall and pointed back at the room, "Kat, I swear to the Goddess herself that the man tried to take advantage of me!"

"I DID NOT!" A loud voice roared and I winced, hangover taking its revenge in full blown anger. The young man from yesterday walked out into the hallway and met my gaze, his voice automatically lowering, "Oh, shi-"

I pointed at him, "YOU!"

He tried to slink back into his room, but I said, "STAY WHERE YOU ARE! ROSA! Where is your roommate!"

The tall, unmistakable Sephiroth came out of the room behind her. His green eyes stared at me with a dangerous glint in his eyes, "And how could I help _you_?"

I stared at him, feeling anger rise within myself, "You're supposed to be a General. Why aren't you _acting_ like it? Instead you're acting like a child or a 3rd Class!"

"Excuse me-" He started, but I shook my head.

"No, all four of you. You all probably had way too much to drink last night and now you start fights that probably woke everyone up! I know two of the four of you are suffering MAJOR hangovers, but you pursued this still? If you lot don't shut it up now then I'll report you ALL to Lazard-my team or not!" I said in a dark tone, turning my back and walking inside the room again.

Angeal and Cloud were both inside, staring at me, as I came walking through and fell onto my bed. I buried my face into my pillow and said, "If they act up again wake me. I'll handle it."

I was half out of it when Angeal said, "Dude, I am going to _love_ having _her_ here!"

"Seriously," Cloud answered and then I was out.

"Okay, so let me hear this one more time," Lazard said that aft

* * *

ernoon as everyone sat in the briefing room. He looked stressed out as he stared at Sephiroth and I, both of us had swollen jaws, "…The two of you got into a physical altercation…because the lot of you couldn't control your TEMPERS?"

I crossed my arms and glared at the other side of the room, Sephiroth only said, "To summarize things, yes."

I muttered under my breath, "Freaking idiot…"

Sephiroth looked at me as I glared at him, Lazard exhaled, "Am I going to have to enforce a 'No Alcohol' rule _again_?"

Rosa burst out laughing, "I will totally quit SOLDIER if you do that."

Sarah nodded, "Hear, hear!"

Lazard sighed, hiding his face behind his hands, "I can not believe this."

Cloud, Zack, a man named Genesis, Angeal, Sarah, and Rosa, were all sitting in chairs as Sephiroth and I stood before them. The two of us were facing Lazard, but the Director exhaled, "Until the Wutai Division is repaired the girls will be staying where they are. I'm ordering the four of you that started this argument to Basic Training for a week. If this does not solve things then I will find a permanent solution that no one will like. Believe me. You are all dismissed."

The lot of us stalked out of the room, the girls on either of my sides. Sarah was trying to cast Cure on my face, I shook her off, "I'm okay."

"He hit you in the face!" She exclaimed, glaring over her shoulder at Sephiroth.

"His _sword _hit me in the face," I corrected, rubbing the huge bruise on my face, "I turned too fast."

"But you hit him like WAM! POW!" Rosa screamed excitedly as we walked. I sighed, finally giving into Sarah's constant complaining about healing my face as Rosa said, "I really couldn't believe it when you came flying out of that room to my rescue!"

"Trust me…I was tired and cranky. I was _not_ coming to _your_ rescue. If you'd been the one shouting at me at that moment…" I trailed off, knowing by the look on her face that I didn't have to finish that sentence.

She grimaced and I said, "Yeah, you get my point."

Sarah only sighed, "Hit with the sheath of a sword…Only you, Kat, only you…"

"Hey! Shut up!" I said as I attempted to stop my laughter, failing miserably, and causing them to laugh as well.

We walked to the elevators because we'd been put on 'city patrol' that afternoon, but we had a surprise once we reached the glass door. A young man stood inside, he wore a dark blue suit with the jacket buttoned all the way up to the white dress shirt worn underneath. He had dark hair, bangs falling into his crimson colored eyes, which had widened at the sight of us, "Rosa?"

"Holy crap! It's Vincent!" Rosa yelled in excitement, hugging her cousin, "I haven't seen you in FOREVER!"

Sarah and I looked at each other and then at the two cousins, Sarah only shrugged, "Well, this is an interesting turn of events."

There was a loud, "AHEM!"

I looked behind Vincent and saw a short girl standing there with her arms crossed, her dark eyes were full of annoyance. Her dark hair was short, but she acted like she was tossing it over her shoulder and said, "I'm trying to get to the Turks' office, so if you'd three move it then that'd be great."

Rosa glared at her, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm Yuffie! Princess of Wutai and the solitary White Rose of Wutai!" She proclaimed loudly, pointing a thumb at her chest.

Sarah bent over and whispered to me, "I'm not sure she knows what 'solitary' means…"

I snorted, "Rosa, we'd better let the _princess_ get to her destination. Heaven forbid she doesn't get to where she wants to be."

Vincent let a small smile slip onto his face as he hugged Rosa briefly, "See you guys later."

We all nodded as Vincent took Yuffie down the hall, "Later, Vince!"

I looked at Rosa as the glass doors shut behind us, "I have a feeling we're going to see a lot of people we know here."

"Yeah, tell me about it," she replied as the elevator reached the first floor, "Hey! You know what we should do? Since we've got time to blow we should totally go see LOVELESS!"

Sarah groaned, hiding her face behind her hands, "Please, don't…You're not the one that had to listen to-"

"_'There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the Goddess. Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds. Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh…'_" Genesis's voice said from our left, Rosa gasped oddly.

The copper headed man turned to see my friend gaping at him, "May I help you?"

Rosa jumped at him, hugging him tightly to the point where his face turned blue, "You know LOVELESS!"

Sarah and I pulled her off of the SOLDIER 1st Class, "Rosa, you're going to kill him!"

Instantly, Rosa released Genesis, "Oh, crap! I'm sorry!"

Genesis looked at Rosa a long moment and then smiled, taking her hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles, "No problem at all, my dear."

Rosa flushed a deep red as Sarah and I stared. Rosa had _never_ reacted like that to a guy before. I leaned over and whispered to Sarah, "I've got this horrible feeling that this is going to turn into a romance or something."

"Same here," Sarah murmured back.

Rosa and Genesis talked quietly for a moment and then she exclaimed, "Okay then! It's a date!"

"Farewell then," Genesis said as he walked away, a huge smile on his face.

Sarah gaped with her mouth wide open, I crossed my arms, "We've been here less than forty eight hours and you've got a date?"

Rosa shrugged, "I'm good like that."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Let's go. We've got some patrolling to do, my friends."

The three of us walked out of the building and into the streets of Midgar…

* * *

"Okay, back up and start again," I said as we all sat at the bar that night. Rosa was on my left, Sarah was on my right, and Tifa sat in front of me. Rosa had come into 7th Heaven ranting and raving about something regarding Sephiroth, Genesis, LOVELESS, and a date.

Sarah, Tifa, and I were thoroughly confused.

Tifa frowned, "Wait a second. How did Sephiroth even come into this picture? I thought you and Genesis were going out on a date?"

"We _were_!" Rosa wailed, slamming her fists onto the bar, "But you don't understand! Sephiroth is like a major stalker!"

I snorted, Sarah choked on her drink, and Tifa stared. I had a hand over my eyes, "You seriously need to start over at the beginning."

"Okay…" Rosa said, taking a deep breath, "So, I was totally getting ready for this date with Genesis, right? Then Sephiroth was like, 'Where are you going?' But I was like, 'Why do you care?' Then he was like, 'I want to know. Is that a crime?' And I was THIS close to telling him it was, but then I told him I was going on a date with Genesis and then HE SHOWED UP AT THE PLAY!"

I exhaled slowly, "So…Sephiroth showed up and crashed your date with Genesis?"

"Basically, yeah," Rosa said, making a face, "Do you know _exactly_ how immature that man _really_ is? He was throwing popcorn at me the whole time!"

Tifa snorted, "Sephiroth!"

"Yes!" Rosa cried loudly.

Sarah was still coughing, I patted her back until she could breathe again, and then she said, "Do they even _sell_ popcorn at LOVELESS?"

"No…" I said slowly, making a face.

Rosa looked appalled, "That _ass_! He planned it!"

"Sephiroth…planned to bring popcorn…to a theater that doesn't sell popcorn…to ruin your date?" I asked, becoming even more confused.

Rosa nodded vigorously, "Yes! Exactly!"

We all burst into laughter, Rosa whined, "What's so funny!"

"Nothing!" I laughed, wiping tears away, "Nothing at all!"

"You're an ass, too! You and Sephiroth should form the Ass-Butt Club!" Rosa said, giving me a dark look as we roared in laughter again.

Sarah clutched her stomach as she laughed, "Did she seriously just say 'ass-butt'?"

I laughed, wiping my eyes again, "Yeah, I think she did!"

"It's not funny!" Rosa snapped, crossing her arms and turning her head the other way, "He's weird and he scares me!"

"You're just mad because you wanted a hot roommate," Sarah chuckled.

"He IS hot, he's just a creeper on top of it," Rosa said, looking at us again.

I took a drink of my weird cocktail like drink, "I can not handle anymore insanity tonight."

Just then the door to 7th Heaven opened and in walked their nightmares: Sephiroth and Zack. We all stared and then I turned to Tifa, "Three shots of whiskey. _Please._"

"You threw popcorn at me in a place that doesn't sell popcorn, you ass-butt!" Rosa yelled behind me somewhere.

I sighed as Tifa turned, pouring shot glasses full, "Make that five, Tifa."

"You got it," she smirked, pulling up two more glasses.

"Oh, Goddess…It's going to be such a long night…" I groaned.

Sarah patted me on the back, "Girl, you keep drinking like that and tonight will be long, but tomorrow will be hell."

I downed two of my shots as yelling started behind me, "I'll take it."

Tifa laughed and I took another shot, lifting it to the sky and saying, "Hangover heaven, here I come!"

* * *

**So, everyone's met and things are bound to get a little crazier before the end. I'd say something else, but I'm on a time restraint right now. Review and let me know what you think? :)**

**~Sarah~**


	3. Gossip, Pranks, and Surprises

**So, I finally got around to posting the third chapter of 'Someday'. Happy belated Valentine's Day to everyone! This story has over 160 views and only 4 reviews however. :( So, when you finish reading this chapter please just click that itty bitty button at the bottom? The more reviews I get, the faster I'll upload chapters, I promise. :D**

**Anyway, here we see a new character, get some background info on the girls, and a little bit more. So, the usual, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII in anyway.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Gossip, Pranks, and Surprises**

"Cloud, so you're saying you don't think anything of the girls?" Zack asked, sitting in the briefing room with Cloud and Angeal nearly two weeks later.

Cloud shrugged, running a hand through his blond hair, "They've been here two weeks, what am I supposed to think? They're good SOLDIERs, make things interesting around here, what more do you want me to say?"

Zack frowned, scrutinizing the young man sitting across from him. Cloud gave nothing away, just staring at Zack with blank Mako blue eyes. Zack huffed and turned to Angeal, "How about you? You hear anything about the others?"

"Well, Seph has pulled a complete 180. He always hangs out with us, but ever since Rosa showed he's just disappeared. It's like she's the only one who sees him anymore and he _scares_ her," Angeal said, rocking back in his chair, "Genesis is interested in Rosa, too. I think they're all pretty interesting, but it is so great that we've got Kat on our side now. She's totally got everything under control here."

Zack nodded, but Cloud said, "What about you, Zack? There has to be a reason you're asking this."

Angeal smirked, rolling his chair slightly to the left to turn completely toward Zack, "Because he likes one of them."

"If one more person says they're going to kidnap Rosa and take her away then I'll scream," Cloud muttered, hands over his face, "Genesis says the most random and disturbing things I've ever heard."

Zack snorted, "Nah…"

Angeal gave Zack a long look, "Which one?"

"Well, I mean, they're all gorgeous…but there's just something about…Sarah," Zack confessed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Angeal arched an eyebrow, "That should be interesting."

Cloud chuckled, "Interesting doesn't begin to describe it. Sarah and Zack? That's like water and oil. If it happens I'll be surprised."

"HEY!" Zack yelled at his best friend, "That was completely uncalled for!"

"But true," Angeal snickered.

"So, you really don't have any interest in any of them, Cloud?" Zack asked again, giving him an odd look.

Cloud grimaced, "…Kat, she's…a General, a 1st. I just made 2nd…It'll never work."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Angeal said, drumming his fingers on the long table.

Zack scowled, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ang."

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that. There's a difference between those two women. Kat can change easily depending on the situation. Sarah is fierce, so are you, Zack. Your personalities clash, that's the only reason I think there _could_ be trouble," Angeal explained, looking up at the clock on the wall.

Zack stretched, "Eh, I can understand that I guess. That doesn't mean I won't try though."

"Never said you wouldn't," Angeal laughed, standing up, "I think we've hidden as long as we can in here. I'm going to head to my room and take a shower. The President needs me in a meeting later."

"Later, Ang," Cloud and Zack both said, waving as the older man walked out.

Zack stood up as well, "It's my day off, so I'm going back to my room. What are you going to do?"

"I'm supposed to go to training," Cloud said, stretching, "I've got to make 1st soon or I'll feel completely pathetic."

Zack clapped a hand on Cloud's shoulders, "Let's hope we get these women, eh?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Hoping? There's a word I thought I'd never hear from you."

"Yeah, well, things change," Zack said with a grin as they walked out of the briefing room…

* * *

"Okay," Sarah said as she sat on her bed, cross legged, staring at Zack Fair as he sat on his bed in a similar manner, "You're from Gongaga?"

He nodded, black spikes swaying slightly, "And you're from…?"

"The girls and I used to live in Rocket Town before joining SOLDIER. We hung out with a rocket pilot, Cid Highwind. He's like a weird uncle," she explained, making hand gestures.

He watched her with great interest. These women had been here a total of two weeks and they'd already turned their group into a bunch of gossiping sissies. Plus Sephiroth was pretty much a stalker. Zack Fair had never experienced love, but he was pretty sure he liked this girl…_ a lot_.

Sarah Neil was like her friends; strangely gorgeous, strong, and had a will of steel. She'd started off as a nuisance to him, but Zack was adjusting to her being around quickly. She had tanned skin, dark eyes and hair, was average height, and…perfect. Sure, she snored sometimes, but she didn't leave toothpaste in the sink or things like that.

Zack wasn't listening while she talked about a man named Cid and his tea drinking tendencies. Instead he studied her, how she rolled her eyes or grinned at the things she mentioned in passing, and he admired how much she loved her friends. Kat and Rosa were definitely lucky to know her so well…The way he wanted to know her…and maybe even more…?

"…and that's what it's like to live in Rocket Town," Sarah ended, looking at Zack with bright eyes, "What about Gongaga?"

"Oh, it's just a backwater place. Country all the way," Zack said with a fond smile, "But it's home, I guess. Totally different than Midgar."

"Yeah, I mean…The girls and I weren't born in Rocket Town, but we wandered a bit and…we ended up there. We lived in the middle of nowhere for the longest time," Sarah laughed, a sad look in her eye.

"Aw, it couldn't have been far from Gongaga if it was in the middle of nowhere," Zack prodded, wanting to know more.

"No, seriously. Our parents were all best friends and they went on a road trip or something. They just stopped one day and decided they were going to raise us there. We were born in Midgar, but raised outside of Wutai," Sarah explained, "Literately in the middle of the wilderness."

Zack made a face, "I am so sorry."

She snickered, "It was an adventure just trying to get to the next day."

"What made you leave?" Zack asked, laying back on his pillows, but turning his head so he could see her. He frowned as she looked away, not saying anything, "Sarah?"

The young woman exhaled heavily, looking at Zack, "It was…ten years ago…We were only fourteen…It was during the beginning of the war, between Shinra and Wutai…They thought we were a Shinra camp and…well…"

Her dark eyes met his, "Our parents were killed before us, but we were hiding…It was luck that they didn't find us…It was Kat's idea to go to Shinra and try out for SOLDIER. Lazard had just started back then and he gave us a chance. So, ever since then we've been working to end the war with Wutai and I guess avenge our parents."

"When did you make 3rd?" Zack asked after a few moments of silence.

She exhaled, "Right after Kat did. I was…fifteen."

"Fifteen!" Zack exclaimed, sitting up suddenly, "No way!"

She frowned at him, "Why?"

"No reason!"

Sarah studied his face and then snorted, "I made SOLDIER before you did."

"How did you-?" He started, but she just laughed at him.

"You just told me!" She said, snorting again, "Zack, you're so gullible sometimes!"

Zack snorted and rolled his eyes, "Sneaky little…"

There was a sudden pounding on the door, Sarah and Zack looked at each other, both surprised. They were supposed to have the day off, that's why they were talking like this. Zack got up and answered the door, "Rosa?"

"Hey, Zack. Is Sarah here? We've got a message to deliver to Her Most High General-ness," Rosa said cheerily as Zack let her in.

Rosa walked into the room and looked at Sarah, "We're supposed to tell Sarah her new orders. Well, technically I am, but I don't want to go alone. Come with me?"

"Is Sephiroth _still_ creeping you out?" Sarah laughed as she pulled on her tennis shoes, "Rosa, you've got to confront him about that."

Rosa looked at Zack with wide eyes, Zack came to her rescue, "Not even I want to bring this up to Seph. He's scary when he's mad and he's acting _weird_."

Sarah scoffed as she pulled her jacket on next and grabbed her SOLDIER identification card, "You guys are useless. You coming, Zack?"

"Sure, give me a sec to put on my shoes," Zack said as the girls started talking about something.

"You serious?" Sarah said, catching Zack's attention.

"Yeah! I'm serious! I really think she's gotten a soft spot for him," Rosa said as she nodded vigorously, "But, I was talking to Vince earlier and-"

"I'm ready," Zack announced, standing up as he, too, grabbed his jacket and ID, "So, what are we telling Kat?"

"Oh, we've got to tell her Genesis got in trouble for…pulling a prank on Angeal and has been 'reprimanded'. He was supposed to be going on patrol with Kat, so she's waiting in the lobby, but he isn't coming," Rosa explained in one breath, bouncing on her heels as she walked out the door.

Sarah snorted, "What did Gen do to Ang?"

"I don't know. All I caught the gist of was water, the bathroom, Ang, Gen, and blue dye," Rosa said as Zack locked the door behind him, momentarily freezing with a grin on his face.

Sarah blinked, looking at Zack, "You don't think…Gen dyed Angeal's hair…blue?"

"That wouldn't be the first time, except it was _pink_ last time," Zack laughed, turning to head towards the elevators, "It comes out in a month or two, it just doesn't look so great when Ang goes with the President to war meetings."

Sarah and Rosa both snickered, all three got into an elevator and waited for it to reach the lobby…

Little did they know what was waiting for them…

* * *

I was standing in the lobby, waiting for Genesis so we could get our patrol on the move. I had my arms crossed and felt totally at ease. I was wearing my good jeans with a v-neck black shirt, my fingerless gloves were on my hands, and my boots were sturdy. I was ready for anything!

Then I looked up toward the elevators, to see if Gen was coming yet or not, and I saw two men walking my way in dark blue, nearly black, suits. Suits exactly like Vincent's.

The first looked exactly the same way he did when I'd last seen him. He had dark brown hair that stuck out all over the place in areas and he also had choppy bangs that fell across his left eye. His glittering green eyes had dashes of blue and gold in them as his handsome face grinned at me. His suit jacket hung open, revealing his tie, and slack nature.

The second had shoulder length black hair, dark eyes, and his blue suit jacket was buttoned all the way up. I recognized him, but he'd also changed his hair style since I'd seen him last. He usually wore it pulled back, out of his face, but today he had bangs that fell across the mark on his forehead. He walked briskly in front of the other man…

These two were once close friends of mine, both members of the elite group, the Turks. The first young man was Adrian. The second…

They stopped in front of me and I only stared at the second man. He stared back, a smooth smile on a flawless face, "Kathleen…You're at HQ. What a surprise…"

I exhaled sharply, "Tseng."

* * *

Sarah and Rosa walked out of the elevator with Zack, all looking around for the female General. The three SOLDIERs looked around until Rosa said, "Hey, isn't that Tseng and Adrian?"

Sarah stopped, Zack nodded and said, "Standing with Kat? Yeah, why?"

Rosa tilted her head, "…Kat…and Tseng?"

An expression passed over Sarah's face and then she snarled, "Oh, _Hell_ no!"

The brunette stomped off in Kat's direction, leaving Zack bewildered and Rosa sighing. Zack looked at Rosa, "What's _her_ deal?"

"Kat and Tseng…They go back a long way, you could say," Rosa said nervously, scratching the back of her head, "They used to be pretty serious."

"So, they were together?" Zack asked.

"Until they…broke up, yeah," Rosa said as she took a step in Kat's direction.

Zack frowned, "I still don't get it. Why did Sarah act that way about Kat hanging out with her ex-boyfriend?"

Rosa turned, giving Zack a long, serious look for once, and then he knew it was bad, "Because… Tseng isn't her ex-boyfriend, Zack…"

He frowned deeply, "Then…what was he?"

Rosa sighed, "He's her ex-fiancé."

* * *

**GASP. Who saw _that_ coming? ;) Anyway, please review and the next chapter will be out faster than you can believe! :D**

**~Sarah~**


	4. And It Begins

**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter, but I know we can do better! At least 40 people looked at Chapter Three! :) Anyway, moving onto Chapter 4!**

**Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) **

**Disclaimer: Must I really say I don't own it? I think everyone knows I don't or wouldn't be here.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

**And It Begins**

I stared at Tseng a long time, "…Tseng…It's great to see you…"

He nodded, "You, too…You look great, Kat."

I smiled softly at him, Tseng…He'd changed, but not much. He was still good looking, calm, and nearly perfect. He only had one flaw: his obsession with his job. I blinked and tilted my head slightly, "You look wonderful, too."

Then I looked over at Adrian, "Long time no see! You finally made the ranks, huh?"

"Totally! I told you I'd make it before Elena!" Adrian said happily, throwing a fist in the air, "But, what are you doing here? Isn't your Division in Wutai?"

"Yes, that was my question," Tseng said in an odd tone. His dark eyes twinkled as he lifted a hand as if to touch my shoulder when-

"KAT!"

I jerked, turning in the direction of Sarah's voice, "Sarah? What's going on? Where is Genesis?"

"You're supposed to go ahead or wait for Angeal, but I think I'll go with you. Zack and Rosa are coming, too," she said swiftly, grabbing me by the arm and trying to drag me away from Tseng and Adrian.

Tseng grabbed me by the other arm, "Wait a second! I've got the right to talk to her, too, you know."

"Not anymore you don't!" Sarah snapped back.

I sighed, relaxing the muscles in my arms so they would stop hurting from the pressure. Rosa and Zack came parading over a second later. Rosa pulled me away from both of my captors and handed me off to Zack, "Watch her, please."

Zack nodded, "Sure thing."

He tried to pull me away, but I rounded on them all, "Now wait one freaking second! I am the General here!"

"Yeah and you're fixing to walk right back into the biggest mistake of your life!" Sarah exclaimed at me.

I blinked twice and then looked at Tseng before saying, "We'll catch up…some other time."

He frowned before nodding, "Okay. See you later, Kat."

He and Adrian walked away, meeting the red headed Reno of the Turks at the entrance before disappearing. I crossed my arms and looked at the three standing around me, I glared at Rosa and Sarah, "You know, I get why _you two_ are acting like this…" Then I looked at Zack, "But I don't get why _you_ are."

Sarah and Rosa turned, both looking confused as they looked at Zack. The raven haired young man chuckled nervously, "Um…I have no idea." _'Cloud, you better thank me!'_

I frowned at him, "…Whatever."

Then I walked in the direction the Turks had left in and said, "Well, if we're going to patrol then we'd better do it. Now that my good mood has been completely _murdered_."

"Oh, Kat, you know it's for your own good," Sarah said, giving me a dark look.

I rolled my eyes, "I knew what I was doing, Sarah. I wasn't even considering getting back with him. Not in this lifetime anyway."

Zack was hanging behind Sarah and I, looking at Rosa as he whispered, "What the heck is the deal?"

"It is such a long story that you wouldn't believe it," Rosa replied, "It goes back easily seven years."

"Seven?" Zack asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, Rocket Town," Rosa said off handedly, "We were on a mission there, so were the Turks and the rest is, as they say, history."

Sarah turned, glaring at Rosa, "Hey? Shut up about it?"

Rosa winced, "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

I glared at Sarah, "Yeah, she didn't mean to. Leave her alone, Sarah."

"Kathleen, listen to me-" Sarah started.

"What is with all the noise out here?"

We all turned, surprised by the interruption as Angeal came around the corner of the building. I stared at him, the other three snorted or gaped at him. I lifted a finger and pointed at him, "Ang…Your…hair…?"

"Yeah, I know," Angeal muttered angrily, the cap on his head not covering _all_ of his hair. Brightly colored sapphire locks stuck out from underneath the beanie like hat, "Freaking Genesis…At least it wasn't pink this time…"

I tilted my head as Rosa snorted in laughter behind me, "What do you mean…pink?"

Zack covered his mouth as Angeal glared at him, the older man said, "This isn't the first time this has happened."

I bit my lip, trying to stop my own laughter, but Angeal made a face, "Oh, whatever. Just laugh, Kat, I know you want to."

A huge grin over took my face as I chuckled, but then he said, "So why were you lot going at it?"

The mood instantly died. I scowled, "I ran into someone I know."

"Someone you _knew_," Sarah said, crossing her arms.

We glared at each other as Angeal stepped in between us, "Break it up, ladies. Kat, you and I have patrol. The others, you lot need to take your day off or get to work. The President is not in a good mood."

The other three grimaced, "Later, Kat!"

Sarah met my gaze, "We _will_ be talking about this later."

"Whatever," I mumbled, watching as they walked away.

Angeal looked at me once they were gone, "Care to explain? You'll find I'm an excellent listener."

I blinked, looking up at Angeal and said, "It's a long story."

"We've got time," he replied, a smile on his face.

I sighed, "It started seven years ago…"

* * *

Sarah stormed back into the building, her long hair fell into her eyes, but she brushed it out so she could see. Her fists were tight at her sides, she got into the elevator, almost leaving Zack and Rosa behind. The two jumped in just as the doors were closing, both looking alarmed.

Rosa took the first attempt, "…Where are we going?"

"I'm going to find out when the hell we are going back to Wutai so we can get on with our _actual_ mission," Sarah snapped, her face flushed with anger.

Zack made a face, "Sarah…"

"Don't patronize me. You weren't there, you don't know what happened," she said, this time in a softer tone, "Tseng is like a poison for her and I won't stand by to see it happen all over again."

Rosa looked at her feet, Zack made another face, but Sarah remained silent. Zack got off on the sixth floor, the girls went to Lazard's office. Zack went down the hall and knocked on room 618, Cloud opened the door, "Zack? What's going on? I thought you had the day off."

"Weren't you at training?" Zack asked, suddenly remembering.

"Yeah, but the facility was closed. I was only there a few minutes. Why? What's up?" Cloud asked, frowning at his friend.

Zack leaned against the doorway, "You really want to sit down for this."

Cloud let him in and then shut the door, Zack stood in the small kitchenette as the blond sat in one of the kitchen's chairs, "What is it, Zack?"

Zack let out a heavy breath, "…Kathleen has been engaged before."

Cloud lifted an eyebrow, "Is she married?"

"No, nothing like that," Zack said, "But, uh, it's rather…_who_ she was engaged to."

"Zack, I swear if this is one of your jokes…" Cloud threatened, but the look on Zack's face made him stop, "…It's bad, isn't it?"

"Man, they met like seven years ago and something happened, but I don't know what. Sarah totally freaked out and Kat got mad because they wouldn't let her talk to him. Then I knew I had to tell you, but I-" Zack started blabbering.

Cloud ran a hand over his face, "Zack."

"Right, sorry," Zack said, trying to regain his composure, "Cloud, she was engaged to-"

Then the door opened.

* * *

I smiled at Angeal as we got off the elevator on our floor, "Thanks for listening."

"No problem, kiddo," he replied, ruffling my hair, "I won't tell anyone until you want me to. Zack, if he knows what's going on, won't be as easy though. I'd talk to him as soon as possible."

I nodded, "Yeah, I know…That's just going to be the most awkward conversation of my life."

Angeal smirked, "Well, I think I'm going to try and get this out of my hair."

"I don't know, Ang. Blue is a pretty good color on you," I joked.

"Aha-ha-ha, you're so funny, Kathleen," Angeal said with a roll of his eyes, "You've got tomorrow off, by the way. Take advantage of it…and think about what you're going to do."

I nodded, "Later, Angeal."

I opened my door and walked inside, shutting it behind me, only to see Zack standing in the kitchenette with Cloud sitting in a chair. I frowned as I took in Cloud's stressed expression. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge, "What's wrong with you two?"

Zack paled, I tilted my head, "What?"

Cloud shrugged, "Zack had something to say, but he forgot it. He's been trying to remember for the last few seconds. It's nothing big."

I shook my head, "Okay, whatever."

Zack yawned suddenly, "I think I'm going to take a nap. Later, you two."

"Bye," I said.

Cloud nodded, "Later."

Once the door was shut I turned to Cloud, "What was his problem?"

"I don't know," Cloud said, looking out the window with a thoughtful look, "…He came in here yelling about someone having a fiancé…I wonder what he was talking about…?"

I turned around, my back to him, "Yeah…I wonder…"

* * *

"What do you mean you 'aren't rebuilding the Wutai Base'!" Sarah shouted, throwing her hands down on the desk, causing Lazard to jump. Rosa had a wide eyed look on her face, Sarah shook her head, "That is not possible! You told Kathleen that you'd rebuild as soon as possible!"

"As soon as possible!" Lazard repeated, "There were expense cuts and one of them was the repairs of the Wutai Base! I can't help that!"

Sarah shook her head, "You don't understand! Lazard, Director…Kat…She can't be near Tseng!"

"Well, that's going to be virtually impossible," Lazard said, making hand gestures, "Because Kathleen is a General, one of two, and the Generals work closely with the Director of the Turks, or Tseng. I don't know what your ordeal with him is, but I suggest you ladies to find a way to fix it."

"Or what?" Rosa asked defiantly.

"Or we'll have to release you from the company," Lazard said simply, "Tseng is more important to the President than even myself let alone you three. Just…think it over. Sarah, I would transfer you back in a heartbeat if I could and that was what you wanted, but I can't."

The dark eyed woman only crossed her arms and looked away, "…This isn't fair."

"When is life fair?" Lazard asked quietly.

There was silence, an eerie silence, in the room. Sarah exhaled heavily and Lazard smiled, "Calm again?"

"Somewhat," she replied, "Sorry."

Lazard shook his head, "We all lose our tempers when it comes to the ones we care about. Just please get a little more control?"

Sarah sighed, nodding, "Yeah…I'll work on that."

Rosa smiled cheerily, "Later, Sir!"

The girls turned and then Lazard said, "Ladies! Could I talk to you for a moment about something?"

They turned around and Lazard asked, "I have a small mission that I need three SOLDIERs to go out to the Mako Reactor site in Coral."

Sarah looked at Rosa, both girls nodded and Sarah said, "When do we leave and do you want us to go get Kat?"

"Oh…Well…I've already got another SOLDIER lined up for this mission," Lazard said slowly, "Kathleen won't be joining you. I have her arranged for a different mission."

Sarah and Rosa both made faces, Rosa had her hands on her hips, "What do you mean Kat won't be joining us? She's our General…No!"

Sarah turned, "What?"

Rosa shuddered and said, "That means-!"

"Director, you wanted to see me?"

Sephiroth walked into the room and looked at the three inside, then he frowned, "What's going on?"

"Sephiroth, meet your team. I need you to go to the Corel Mako Reactor site," Lazard said as Sephiroth and Rosa looked at each other.

Sephiroth grinned oddly and looked at Lazard, "When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible," Lazard answered.

Sephiroth nodded and walked out the door, "Let's move then"

Rosa looked at Sarah, "NOOOOOO!"

* * *

I frowned deeply when Sarah and Rosa both showed up at my door with their bags, "Wait. You're going where again?"

"Corel, it's outside Golden Saucer," Sarah explained, leaning against the doorframe, "Our…leader…is-"

"SEPHIROTH!" Rosa cried, looking completely distressed, "How-"

Sephiroth walked up behind them as I made a face and Rosa switched gears, "-awesome is that!"

I smiled, snickering on the inside, "That is amazing, Rosa. I wish I was going with you."

"That's what we're here to tell you! Lazard's got a mission for you as well," Sarah said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, "Anyway, we're out of here. Later, Kat."

Rosa lunged and hugged me, whispering in my ear, "_Please_ help me!"

I snorted, letting her go, "Just call if you need me."

She wiped at her eyes and nodded, "Bye, Kat."

Then they were gone, I left and headed to the elevator where I saw Zack getting on board. I frowned and got on as well, he gave me a forced smile, "What floor?"

"Lazard's Office," I answered stiffly.

Zack arched an eyebrow, "Me, too."

We rode up the elevator in silence, it was awkward and tense the entire way. I sighed when we were nearly there, "Zack?"

He looked at me, "Yeah?"

"…Earlier with Tseng…Could you keep that just between us?" I said slowly, "…It really isn't something I'm ready to take on right now. If everyone knows about it then I'll have to answer questions…But, anyway, could you do that for me?"

Zack frowned, looking at me, "What happened, Kat? Sarah's never acted that way…"

"Sarah doesn't like Tseng. She never did," I said, twisting my hands together, "But she doesn't understand that confronting my past with Tseng is something _I_ have to do alone. I don't want anyone involved."

Zack stared at me for a long time, "…Are you okay?"

"I will be soon enough, but I just need you to promise to keep it to yourself," I said once more, hoping he'd say he would.

He sighed, "This sucks…but yeah, I'll keep quiet about it."

I smiled, "Thanks."

The elevator doors opened and we approached Lazard at his desk, "Sir."

"I need the two of you at the Gongaga Reactor site," Lazard said, looking up at us, "We're currently searching for Materia. It looks like normal Materia, but it's a lot bigger. There are four of them, but we're not sure where they are."

Zack blinked, "And you think one of these…Huge Materia is in Gongaga?"

"Well, the Department thinks that they are in melted down or destroyed Reactors," Lazard explained, "So, I'm sending a few teams out to search all the Reactors."

"Where did Sarah's team go?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"Corel, where AVALANCHE attacked and tried to destroy a Reactor in Mount Corel," Lazard said, handing us folders on our mission, "You'll be pretty far away from one another for a few days."

"What other teams are going out?" Zack asked, arms crossed.

"Cloud, Angeal, and Genesis are going to the Underwater Reactor in Junon," Lazard replied, running a hand over his face, "Once you all get back next week, then I decide on another team to check out the Reactors at Fort Condor and Nibelheim."

I shook my head, "We've got all of these Reactors, why do we need Huge Materia?"

"The company believes that the Emerald WEAPON swimming around the Underwater Reactor has become a problem," he answered, looking at the clock on his desk, "They need Huge Materia to take it out."

"I do have to warn you, because this is not an order from SOLDIER there will be…others accompanying you," Lazard said with a look of distress of his face.

I felt my muscles lock down, Zack frowned deeply, "What are you saying, Director?"

"He's saying," a voice said behind me, "That the Turks will be assisting all search parties."

I closed my eyes and prayed that I would wake up from my nightmare, but I turned slowly with a smile as I locked gazes with _him_, "Tseng…"

Zack got a look on his face and said, "Wonderful."

Lazard gave me a warning look, "Please follow protocol, you two."

Tseng kept my gaze as I said, "Not a problem, Director. I can assure you of that."

"Good," Lazard said as he stood, "Then all I need to tell you is that your helicopter leaves in an hour. Please be ready by then and make regular reports."

Zack and I both said, "Yes, Director."

We all three got into the elevator, the tension was thick…and that's when I realized…

This trip was totally going to suck.

* * *

"Oh my Goddess, would you two _stop it_!" Sarah shouted at Sephiroth and Rosa, both of which were sitting behind her in the helicopter as two Turks, Reno and Rude, operated the flying craft. Sarah had her hands clenched in her lap, "You're making me nervous and we've still got hours to go!"

Rosa had scooted herself across the seat and against the helicopter's wall, trying to get away from Sephiroth, who was making weird faces at her. Rosa wailed, "Make him stop it!"

"I can not believe this…" Sarah grumbled to herself, "It is like dealing with five year olds…"

Reno had a goofy look on his face as he turned to look at Sarah, "Makes you enjoy the older days, huh?"

She rolled her eyes, "Reno, no matter what you say, Rocket Town was not any fun for any of us except you."

Reno rolled his green eyes, running a hand through his red hair, "Oh, you're just mad because I was _this_ close to drinking you under the table."

"Yeah, good thing the General was there or you'd have taken complete advantage of the situation," Sarah scoffed, giving him a dirty look.

"Where is General Smartass?" Reno asked, using the nearly forgotten nickname for Kat, "I thought you three were a team in Wutai."

"Long story short, the Wutai Base blew up and we got landed in HQ," Sarah said, making small gestures, "General Smartass is currently exploring a different Reactor with the team she was assigned."

Reno nodded for a second, "Seriously, they need to let more women into SOLDIER…"

"You're such a perv, Reno," Sarah said until someone hit the back of her seat. She whipped around, glaring at the two who were shoving each other, "Sephiroth! Rosa!"

They both stopped, looking at Sarah. Sarah sighed and turned back to Reno, "On second thought…I would totally take that horrible night in Rocket Town compared to this. At least then I was drunk enough that I probably wouldn't have remembered anything…"

Reno laughed at her, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "Oh, Sarah! That is the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"

Sarah shrugged his arm off of her and said, "It'll probably be the nicest thing I'll _ever_ say to you."

Reno put a hand over his heart dramatically, "That hurts, you know."

Sarah rolled her eyes with a smirk, then she tried to settle into her seat and sleep the rest of the way…

Rosa glared at the pale, silver haired man sitting next to her. He tilted his head so one of his green eyes looked bigger than the other and then crossed his eyes. She made a face at him, "That's not funny! I hope your face gets stuck that way!"

"That's just an old wives' tale," Sephiroth said, giving her a smug look.

She frowned at him and tried to scoot even further away from him, "You're so _weird_!"

"That's not a polite thing to say," Sephiroth said in an odd tone.

Rosa's eyes widened, "_Polite_! You followed me on my date and threw popcorn at me! _That_ isn't polite!"

"Genesis was trying to make a move on you," he said bluntly.

Rosa stared at him, "Duh. It was a date. You _make moves_ on people when you go on a date."

Sephiroth frowned, "Really?"

"Oh, Goddess…Have you ever _been_ on a date?" She asked, giving him an odd look of her own and gaping when he didn't answer, "…I still think you've got weird stalker like tendencies…but I am going to have to walk you through this or we'll never have a normal understanding with each other…"

She peered over the headrest to see Sarah was asleep, but she never saw the impish grin on Sephiroth's face as he thought, _'Goddess, I am such a genius. She doesn't even realize I planned this whole thing out!'_

* * *

Cloud had his arms crossed as he closed his eyes, listening to Angeal and Genesis as they conversed with the two Turks piloting the helicopter on its way to Junon. Luckily he'd only be in the helicopter a few minutes, because he got motion sickness fairly easily if he was in the air too long. Zack had helped him over come his sickness when he'd first started out, but every now and then…

He was just thankful Kathleen wasn't around to witness any kind of 'accident'.

So, they had all been split up to search for the Huge Materia in order to take out Emerald WEAPON. Cloud frowned slightly, thinking to himself, _'Why now? Why has that ancient WEAPON suddenly become a problem? It's just weird…'_

A hand was on his shoulder as the helicopter lurched slightly, "Cloud, wake up."

Cloud opened his blue eyes, staring at Angeal, "What?"

"We're here," Angeal replied, trying to stuff any of the sapphire hair inside his hat, "Let's get this over with."

Genesis snickered behind him, "Yes! Let's be off, my friends!"

Cloud got out of the helicopter and watched as Angeal walked away, "Genesis…?"

Genesis had a huge grin on his face, "Why, yes, Cloud?"

"…Did you…?" Cloud asked, pointing at Angeal's backside.

Genesis tried to recover his composure as he began to walk away, "Put red ink in his seat? I would never, Cloud!"

Cloud only laughed and shook his head, "Oh, Goddess, he's going to be so pissed when he figures out-"

"GENESIS!"

The two men burst out laughing as Angeal turned around with his fist raised, yelling…

* * *

I sighed, stretching as we landed outside the jungle looking city of Gongaga, "I hate helicopter rides!"

It had taken almost forty eight hours to get there and I was going to go nuts if I had to sit in that helicopter with those two any longer!

Adrian got out of the helicopter after me, "You and me both, kid."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, but you're driving. I'm just sitting back there bored!"

"True enough," he laughed, running a hand through his hair, "So, how _are_ you liking Midgar?"

"It's okay, I guess," I shrugged, "I've made some pretty cool friends since I've been there, but it's not home. I still can't believe what happened in Wutai…"

"What _did_ happen? They're all being real shady about it back at HQ," Adrian said as we walked toward the path through the forest.

"Um…There may or may not have been an incident with some Materia that may or may not have set the Base on fire," I said slowly, scratching the back of my head, "But it's sort of confidential."

"Kat, c'mon, you know me. I'm not going to open my mouth unless you say it's cool," Adrian told me with a slight push, "Man, it's like you've got amnesia or something if you don't remember that!"

We both laughed, I smiled, "It's so good to see you again after, what? Three years?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Adrian said, then he got a serious look on his face as he looked around. Tseng and Zack had yet to get out of the helicopter, so he said, "What exactly happened between you and Tseng? One day you guys were getting married and the next _poof_! You and the girls hightailed it out of there!"

I sighed sadly, "It's just…a long story."

Adrian held up his hands, "I'm here when you need to talk. I won't push you."

I pushed him lightly with a smile, "Thanks. I know I can count on you."

"Kat!" Zack called as he climbed out of the helicopter, a scowl on his face. He stomped over to me and said, "Don't leave me with _that_ guy again. He's such a freaking snob…I don't know how you ever…Never mind. Let's just get this over with."

Zack and Adrian kept walking, I turned and waited for Tseng. He made his way over to me and ran a hand through his bangs, "Kathleen? I thought you'd be going on with your…_friend_."

I didn't take the bait, I only replied, "Zack needs time to cool off. I figured he could do that by talking with Adrian. Besides, I wasn't going to leave you out here by yourself. I know you hate the woods."

Tseng looked surprised, "You…remember that?"

I gave him a dark look, "I remember _everything_."

He sighed, "You're never going to forgive me…are you?"

I only stared at him, he shook his head, "I didn't think so."

He stared back at me with dark eyes as I said, "We're not good for each other, Tseng. I learned that last time…"

"I thought we agreed to keep what happened between us, Kat," Tseng said suddenly, looking over my head at the direction the others had gone in, "Why is that boy confronting me?"

"What?" I asked, taken off guard, "I never said anything to him."

Tseng's face had a blank look on it, "Then what on Gaia was he talking about…?"

I crossed my arms, "What did he say?"

"He said I was a bastard for destroying your life or something along those lines. I didn't even know what he was talking about half the time," Tseng said slowly, "If you didn't say anything…"

"Damn it," I said quietly, "Sarah or Rosa…They're the only ones that really knew outside the Turks that we were…But if he thinks you destroyed my life…then he didn't get the _whole_ story."

Tseng sighed, "Wonderful. I thought I was never going to have to relive this nightmare…"

"You and me both," I said as I hid my face behind my hands before pushing my hair out of my eyes, "I'll tell the girls to put a lid on it."

He nodded and I started to walk away, but then he said, "Kat?"

I turned, looking at him, "What?"

"Are you ever going to _really_ explain why you left me?" Tseng asked, his eyes begging for answers.

I turned back, not looking at him, as I said, "If you haven't figured it out by now… then you really haven't learned anything."

Then I walked onto the path and into Gongaga.

* * *

**Review? :)**

**~Sarah~**


	5. Run Away Mine Train

**So, I wanted to thank new reviewer, Alexandria Volturi, and the others, axelxroxie, hanna, and ChristmasGirl14. Thank you for reviewing and I hope to see more reviews from all of you soon! So, let's get on with Chapter Five, shall we?**

**Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) **

**Disclaimer: I really shouldn't have to say it, but no, I don't own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Run Away Mine Train**

"Sarah!"

Rude, with his dark complexion and sunglasses, was shaking her awake. She groaned, looking at him, "What, Rude?"

"We have arrive outside of North Corel," Rude said in a monotone voice, the one he'd always used since she'd first met him.

"Thanks…Where are the troublesome duo?" She asked as she stretched, it had taken nearly two days to get to Corel. The first day had been havoc with the two passengers in the back…

"Outside," Rude replied, "They're with Reno, but they're behaving oddly well together."

Sarah arched an eyebrow as Rude nodded, "Weird, I know."

They got off the helicopter and started toward the mountain trail, where the Reactor had been built years ago. Rosa was talking to Sephiroth normally, the man nodding and hanging onto her every word. Reno, Rude, and Sarah hung in the back behind them.

Sarah looked over at Reno, "When did that start?"

"Right after you went to sleep," Reno whispered back, watching the two closely, "Sephiroth seems pretty pleased with himself, doesn't he?"

"Well, if he was trying to get her to talk to him in the first place, then he definitely went about it the wrong way," Rude said simply, "Rosa is the talker, right?"

Sarah nodded, "Oh yeah."

It took them nearly two and a half days after loads of wrong turns and directions, but then they found the Reactor. It had a loaded train sitting in its station, then Rosa pointed, "Isn't that big yellow thing…Materia?"

Sarah walked forward quickly, "No way…How did we find one so quickly?"

"Because," Sephiroth said suddenly, looking at the station carefully, "It's a trap."

* * *

I scowled as I rubbed at my face again, getting more dirt and grease on me, "There is no freaking Materia, Huge or not, here!"

We'd been searching for three days. We were all waist deep in garbage, searching through the ruins of the old Reactor for the stupid Materia. Zack was sitting on a pile of crap a little higher than me and wiped at his own face to get rid of some sweat, "I think she's right. We've been looking for days! There is nothing here to even look through, it's just scrap metal!"

I looked down at my hand, wincing as I realized my makeshift bandage had come loose and had dirt in it again. We'd only been looking a hour today when I'd cut my hand, but I didn't have any Materia or potions and I didn't want to slow the search down, so I didn't say anything. I ripped the hem of my shirt to make a bandage, but it was still bleeding and it had been hours. It was also throbbing violently now.

I felt sweat on my face as I tried to take a breath, but it was hard to. Zack looked down at me, "Kat?"

I looked up at him, trying to hide my hand, "W-What?"

"Damn it! You're hurt, aren't you?" He said, jumping down from his pile. He grabbed my hand as I tried to put it out of his reach, he looked at it a second and then called to Adrian, "Tell your boss that we can't keep looking today! She's hurt!"

Adrian nodded, "I'll go find him!"

Zack shook his head as he pulled out a potion from his pocket and poured it on the huge gash, "Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"I'm sorry, but hometown or not, I hate this place. I just want to get out of here, so I wasn't going to slow us down," I said, wincing as the potion did its thing and cleaned out the wound.

Zack whistled lowly, "Damn, Kat, this thing is really infected. You do realize if I hadn't seen it when I had then you'd probably have lost your hand, right?"

I winced as I looked at it, it was just _red_. Red from the infection and brighter red from the blood that had stopped flowing, I grimaced, "Yeah…"

He put the empty bottle in his pocket and pulled the green Materia that was Cure out, he closed his eyes and used its power. My hand was healed in seconds, but Zack protested, "You're not working anymore today. Not after that-"

"Kat! Where are you!" Tseng called from somewhere down below, "Are you alright!"

"Yeah, I'm fine now!" I called back, "We're coming down!"

We climbed the huge pile back down to the ground and found Tseng and Adrian looking just as bad as us. Tseng looked at me with wide eyes, "He said you were hurt…?"

"She was, but I fixed it," Zack said, sounding oddly cold.

I gave him a look before turning my attention back to Tseng, "Zack healed it. I'm okay now."

"She nearly lost her hand because she didn't want to 'bother' anyone," Zack snubbed, giving me a look back.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm okay, aren't I?"

Tseng frowned deeply, "Still, he's right. We aren't going to find anything here. We should get cleaned up and head over to Corel. Reno called and said they may have found something."

I perked up, "Corel?"

Zack smirked, putting a hand on my shoulder, "See? It really would've sucked if you'd lost your hand. Imagine explaining _that_ one to Sarah."

I shuddered, "Ugh. Please don't even say that!"

Adrian laughed, "Sarah still as protective as ever, I see."

"You've got no idea," Zack and I said at once, both snorting in laughter as we walked back to Gongaga.

We met Zack's parents and each waited to take showers and change clothes. We thanked the elderly couple before leaving and getting back in the helicopter. Zack frowned once we took off, he grabbed my hand and looked at it once more, "That's going to scar, you know."

I shrugged, pulling my hand from his grasp, "It won't be the first time."

He shook his head, "No wonder Sarah is so protective. You really have no self preservation, do you?"

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up slightly, "Oh, not at all."

Tseng gave me a look from his seat in front of Zack, but all I could think because of it was, _'Dear Goddess, please don't let him be jealous. I don't even think of Zack in that way. He's like a weird, quirky brother.'_

We'd only been gone five days, but I was missing my bed back in the Shinra building and the blond that I shared a room with.

_'Only a few days to go…'_

* * *

Sarah had her sword out, looking around the corner at the men guarding the train. The three SOLDIERs had gotten closer to the train while Reno had called his…_Boss_. Sephiroth was going give the signal when it was time to move, but no one had moved yet…

Sarah could see Rosa from her position nearest to the train; Rosa was hidden near the mountain because her weapon specialty was a sniper rifle. She could do more damage farther back then Sarah or Sephiroth could. It was then that Sarah realized she'd done something stupid-she'd forgotten to equip any Materia before they'd headed down.

Sarah was hidden behind a crate only a few feet away from the train and she heard someone coming closer to her hiding place. Then she heard the yelling farther away, feet running away from her and she knew then that it was her signal. She jumped onto the train as all of its guards disappeared around the other side. She was in the second car to the front with the Materia, but it was in a locked container with a code on it.

That was when she heard the train whistle and someone shouting, "Get it out of here! The Shinra dogs are here!"

Sarah, for the first time in her life, truly panicked.

The train tracks went right through the town of North Corel-they were going to kill hundreds of people to keep the Materia away from Shinra. Sarah looked at the code panel and decided there would be time for the code after she stopped the train. She got up and headed toward the car's door and saw they were going WAY too fast!

She did the math quickly in her head and realized she only had about five minutes to stop the train!

Sarah jumped onto the next car and the guard standing there turned, "Shinra-!"

She stabbed him and let him fall off the train, _'Not today, buddy!'_

But the sound had already alerted others. She was surrounded in seconds, but she wasn't a 1st Class SOLDIER for nothing. She spun around, using the Mako energy in her limbs to surge out and cut down her enemies. Sarah went to the train's head, pulling on levers, trying to get it to stop.

Finally, the train began to drastically slow down and she knew the town would be safe. She exhaled, wiping the sweat off her brow, when a sharp, searing pain lanced through her torso. She clenched her teeth together as she felt metal leave her side. A hiss slipped through her teeth as she felt the train lurch to a halt.

She turned and saw a large man standing behind her, he had a bloodied dagger in his hand and a dark look in his eye. He had torn pants and a shirt on, things that could hardly be called clothes, and his hair was covered in soot. He grinned, showing all of his teeth-which weren't many-and said, "So, Shinra sends little girls to reclaim what they think is theirs? Don't make me laugh!"

Sarah could feel the warmth running down her side, but she gripped her sword with both hands and said, "Then come at me! If you're such a strong man then kill me!"

The man took a bumbling step toward her, trying to stab her the same way he had the first time, but that was the end of his mistake. She swung the sword around and down, cleanly stabbing him in the side. She made sure to hit him where he'd hit her the first time and then ended his life with the second blow, kicking him away from her and off the train.

She leaned back and against the wall of the train, then she jumped off the train. Sephiroth and Rosa ran toward her, both running along side the train, "Sarah!"

Sarah looked up and smiled weakly, going to lift her hand to signal she was okay, _'Damn, that's really smarting.'_

Then everything tilted and she was falling; she heard screaming; she felt pain; and then everything stopped for a second as a voice reached her ears-

"Damn, what is it with you women from the Wutai Division and nearly getting yourselves killed?"

Sarah opened her eyes as she felt a warm tingling in her side as magic wove her skin back together, "…Zack?"

* * *

We landed outside of North Corel and were rushing toward the city to evacuate the people living there. We'd seen the speeding train heading that way and were hurrying as fast as we could, but I feared it wouldn't be fast enough.

Zack and I were ushering people toward the town's entrance where Tseng and Adrian stood when I realized the train had stopped _just_ a few inches from the town. I heard a gruff voice inside the first car where the control panels were and then I saw Sephiroth and Rosa running toward us, both screaming Sarah's name.

The huge body that fell out of the car scared me for a moment and then I saw the knife in his hand that was _drenched_ in blood. I paled, "Zack!"

Zack nodded and took out his Cure Materia as he headed for the front car. Sarah jumped out of the car with her back to us, she started to lift her hand and then she fell back. Zack was there in a split second as Rosa started screaming and I yelled out, he caught her in his arms and began using the Materia instantly.

He had a soft smile on his face, a look I'd never seen before as he said, "Damn, what is it with you women from the Wutai Division and nearly getting yourselves killed?"

Sarah's eyes opened, full of shock and wonder, "…Zack?"

I exhaled in relief as I jogged the last few feet over, I kneeled next to her and grabbed her hand lightly in relief, "You're lucky, Sarah."

She smiled weakly, looking at me and squeezing my hand back, "Yeah, I guess I am…"

I let her go when Zack lifted her up, "We need to get her back to the helicopter for medical treatment. The Materia isn't going to fix this in one go."

I nodded, "You go with Adrian and Tseng, take her back. We'll get things settled here and meet you back."

He nodded in agreement and carried Sarah off to be cared for. Rosa tackled me from behind, "KATHLEEN! YOU SAVED THE DAY!"

I snorted, turning and hugging her back, "You okay?"

"Totally! I had Sephiroth and Sarah with me the whole time!" She exclaimed happily.

I looked over her shoulder at Sephiroth and whispered, "Sephiroth?"

"Yeah! He's not as weird as I thought," she whispered back.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah…Okay then…"

Then Rosa let me go and sighed, "Wouldn't it just be so romantic if Sarah and Zack fell in love?"

I smirked, "That would be poetic justice, my friend. He'd drive her crazy."

"Ah, she needs a little excitement in her life and I think he's just what she needs," Rosa said with a satisfying nod, "Yep!"

Sephiroth had gotten onto the train and was saying, "I need a little help with getting the Materia case off the train!"

"Oh, yeah!" Rosa exclaimed as we climbed onto the train and helped lift the case down to the two Turks that had run over to help.

I beamed once we all had it on the ground, "Reno! Rude!"

"Hey there, slick!" Reno grinned, hugging me.

I hugged Rude next, he only said, "Hey."

I smiled at them, "It is so good to see you again."

"We were asking about you when we found out Sarah and Rosa were our teammates. Kept trying to figure out where 'General Smartass' was," Reno smirked as I gasped.

"You _remember _that!" I shrieked.

He laughed, "Kat, almost every time we hung out with you was an adventure. When you say something that funny, no one forgets it!"

I sighed as Rosa laughed, Sephiroth only looked confused, and Rude let a small smile slide onto his face. I stretched once more, "Well, let's get this baby loaded onto a helicopter and head out!"

It only took a few moments to get the helicopter loaded and then we left. I leaned against the Materia casing and nearly fell asleep until Rosa asked, "Hey, Kat? What did Zack mean by 'you women from Wutai Division' and 'getting yourselves killed'?"

I turned slowly while chuckling nervously, "Well…you see…I had an incident…"

I knew then that the two day trip back to Midgar was going to be hell.

* * *

"Seriously, Zack, I'm okay," Sarah said again for the fiftieth time that morning. Their helicopter had had a lighter load and had flown nearly half a day faster back to Midgar. They were still waiting for Kathleen's helicopter with the Huge Materia to fly in. Sarah had gotten a phone call from the frustrated General the night before, saying they would be in that very morning.

Which, of course, was why they were arguing.

"Zack, I am not making Kathleen and Rosa come to see me in bed like this. I am very capable of walking into an elevator to go up to the helipad to see them," Sarah said, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

Zack looked thoughtful, running a hand through his black spikes, "…I've got it! I'll carry you!"

"Sure, what ever makes you happy-What! Wait!" Sarah shrieked as Zack picked her up and lifted her from her bed where she'd been sitting after struggling to change clothes in the bathroom. She glared up at him as he kicked their door closed behind him, "Zack Fair, you put me down this instant!" _'I am so freaking embarrassed! I can't believe he is doing this!'_

Zack shifted her weight so he could press the elevator button, "Nope. You said I could!"

"I did not! I wasn't listening!" Sarah said loudly, scowling at him.

Zack shrugged as the elevator went up and stopped. Zack walked up the stairs of the 69th floor and into the President's office where his son, Rufus Shinra was standing. Zack nodded to him, "Morning, Rufus."

"Morning, Zack…What on Gaia are you doing?" The blond haired man asked, surprised by the state Zack was in. His blue eyes lingered on Sarah and then swept to Zack's face, "Oh, is this one of the Wutai transfers?"

Zack nodded, turning so Sarah could see the Vice President, "Sarah, this is Rufus Shinra, Vice President of the company."

Sarah scowled at Zack and then smiled, holding out a hand, "I'd say hello to you normally, sir, but someone's being more trouble than he's worth today."

Rufus laughed and shook her hand, "Fair enough. Well, the crew is on the pad ready for the Materia. I'd get out there if that's what you're here for. The others from Junon should be arriving with their Materia as well."

"Oh? Cloud's crew found one as well?" Zack asked, stunned.

"Yes, turned out it was in one of the shut down machines. Someone was trying to steal it while they were there," Rufus said with his head tilted, "I don't know how it got there, but at least they found it."

There was noise outside and Zack said, "See you later, Rufus!"

"Bye, Zack…Sarah," the handsome Vice President said with a smile.

Sarah stared, "Uh…um…bye…?"

Zack went out the door, feeling slightly annoyed, _'What is it with this woman nearly enchanting every man she meets! It's going to drive me up the wall!'_

When they reached the top both helicopters had landed and people were standing around, moving huge crates that were glowing. Others were standing around talking or hugging, Sarah smiled, "There they are…"

* * *

"I don't know if I liked you better when you were acting weird or not," I said as I stared at Sephiroth once we'd landed.

The entire way back all Rosa and Sephiroth had done was talk and it was driving me nuts. I ran a hand over my face, I was _this_ close to stealing one of the Turks' guns and shooting them both. Reno turned around and said, "We're here, so you can escape, General."

I was out of the craft in seconds, jumping out and stretching leisurely as the scientists all gathered around to grab our boxed Materia. I looked over and saw another helicopter landing, the wind was blowing everything and everyone around. I held my hair out of my eyes so I could see, Rosa leaned out of the helicopter behind me and said, "Seems like Cloud's party found something, too."

I exhaled, looking at her, "You mean…I'm the only one who didn't find something?"

"You can't win them all, General," she said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, put out.

Then the wind stopped and the other craft opened, Angeal got out and looked over at us, waving, "Hey, guys!"

We waved back as he walked over to us, we watched as Genesis helped unload the Huge Red Materia. Angeal threw an arm around my shoulders and said, "So, I heard you _and_ Sarah both got injured during the escapades?"

I grimaced, looking up at my brother like figure, "Something like that."

Angeal shrugged, "You weren't the only ones. Cloud got shot in the arm."

"What!" I exclaimed, stepping away from him, "Why didn't anyone tell us!"

Rosa jumped off the helicopter at last, "What? What happened?"

"Cloud was shot!" I said, looking over at the other helicopter.

"What!" Rosa said, looking worried.

Sephiroth got out and said, "Cloud is strong, he'll be fine."

Just then Cloud got out of the helicopter, his left arm in a sling. I sighed in relief, Angeal nudged me with his elbow, "See? He's fine. We just didn't have any Materia on us, so the medics are going to have to look at it."

"Seems like that was the problem on all of these missions," Sephiroth said, his arms crossed as we all watched the Huge Materia being taken away, "I know that Zack was the only person with Materia on him for sure."

I shook my head, "How did any of us get out of the building _without_ Materia?"

The others made noises and shrugged as Cloud and Genesis made their way over. I hugged Cloud carefully, "You okay?"

He gave me a one armed hug back, "Yeah, I'm good. It just smarts if I move it the wrong way."

"Yeah, Cloud thought he could go off and be a hero," Genesis said with a smirk, "So, get this. We're looking at all the machines that have been turned off for forever and then this guy tries to run _into a submarine_ with the Huge Materia. Cloud runs after him, gets shot, and Cloud _still_ gets the Materia from him."

Angeal had a hand on Cloud's good shoulder, "He did good. He'll make 1st in no time."

Cloud rolled his eyes as someone shouted, "Hey! You lot seem to be forgetting about us!"

"Shut up, Zack!" We heard Sarah shouted.

We all looked over and saw Zack carrying a rather red faced Sarah, the raven haired boy shouted excitedly, "Hey, guys!"

Sarah scowled at Zack, "Please put me down."

Zack ignored her, looking at Cloud, "Oh, Goddess, not you, too."

Cloud frowned, "What does that mean?"

I laughed softly, "Uh, you weren't the only accident."

Cloud looked at me and then Sarah, "Looks like we're all just a bunch of messes, huh?"

I snickered, "Yeah, looks like it."

We all headed inside, going to head to our hallway when Lazard came out of his office, "Oh, good. You're all back! I wanted to talk to all of you for a moment."

We all filed into Lazard's office, trying to fit all eight of us into the room with Lazard and his desk.

Lazard looked at us all, "In two weeks I will be recruiting for more teams to look for other Huge Materia. But as some of you know, it's now December and that means that on Christmas Eve there will be the annual Shinra Ball hosted by the President. That will take place this coming Friday and we're all expected to be there. So, I guess what I'm saying is don't forget and bring guests if you want to. You're all dismissed, so rest up and heal."

We all retreated and Sarah finally convinced Zack to put her down. Sarah leaned against me once we got to the elevator, separating from the boys as they went to the other elevator. We all just stood there…

I looked at Sarah and Rosa, "…A Ball…?"

Sarah frowned, "Like…a dance…?"

Rosa cheered, dancing and squealing, "YES! This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!"

Sarah and I looked at each other-

"Oh, Goddess."

* * *

**Clearly things are about to get really hectic! :) Review and Chapter Six will be out soon!**

**~Sarah~**


	6. A Potential Disaster

**So, first off I'd like to thank ShatterTheHeavens for the wonderful review. As for who Rosa will end up with, well, we'll be finding out in the next chapter or two! :) Again thank you for your review, as it certainly made my day! Also thanks to axelxroxie for her review and the numerous people who read and added this story to their favorites! The only way you could make me any prouder of this story and these characters though, would be to review! ;)**

**Anyway, on with Chapter Six and all the lovely things that happen as we prepare for the Ball!**

**Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Final Fantasy in my dreams.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**A Potential Disaster**

I sighed heavily, standing in the back of 7th Heaven with the girls, "This has all the potential for a life threatening disaster."

"I can't believe we get to go to an actual Ball!" Rosa squealed excitedly, jumping up and down in the dress Tifa was fitting on her.

Tifa squeaked in surprise, "Rosa! You can't jump like that with all the pins in it! You'll hurt yourself!"

Rosa turned and pointed at me and Sarah, who was sitting on a barstool, as she said, "Hey, a needle prick isn't anything compared to nearly losing my hand or getting stabbed!"

Sarah and I both looked away as Tifa glared at us, "I can't believe you two were so reckless."

"Hey," I said loudly, "None of us had Materia or potions except Zack!"

Sarah smiled and tilted her head slightly, "Zack…"

I looked at her, "What was _that_?"

She frowned suddenly, sitting up straight before wincing, "Nothing."

She looked at me, I looked at her, and then I gasped, whispering to her, "You _like_ him, don't you!"

"I never said that!" She hissed, looking over at Rosa and Tifa, both of whom were fussing over the green material Rosa had on. Sarah glared up at me, "So, even if I do, what does it matter?"

"What the hell do you mean, 'what does it matter'?" I asked quietly, "It totally matters! It's the _Christmas_ Ball! Do you realize what that means? That means there will be plenty of mistletoe and all that crap! In other words, there will be _loads_ of chances to get together with him!"

She sighed, her hand resting over her nearly healed wound, "What is it with you and trying to fix me up with people?"

"Because, I clearly can't find happiness, so you should be able to!" I answered quickly, "Even Rosa said you'd be perfect together!"

"Rosa gets drunk every chance she gets and dances on tables," Sarah pointed out, causing me to snort in laughter and the girls to look at us. Sarah waved at them, "Go on about your business, you two!"

I covered my mouth to halt my laughter as Sarah turned back to me, "My point is this, if it's meant to happen then it will. You can't force us together if isn't meant to be."

"But I can sure as hell try," I snubbed, crossing my arms.

Sarah shook her head with a smile. We'd probably never change, I realized in that moment, because we were so stubborn and cared about each other's happiness above our own. That had been the way were raised…and somewhere along the way I'd forgotten that…and nearly lost myself.

Sarah gave me a long look, "You're thinking about him again."

"Sarah…" I said quietly, not wanting a fight.

"I'm…trying," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "Kat, you're my sister in every way and I love you to death, but I can't watch you walk into that again…I know you don't intend to…but he's got that way with you. Just…be careful."

I exhaled, "…It wasn't a healthy relationship to begin with, was it?"

She looked surprised, "Kat, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It's been three years and now I'm looking this thing in the face again," I replied, watching Rosa and Tifa once more, "…I don't really have a choice at this point…I told Angeal almost everything that day, you know…"

Sarah arched an eyebrow, looking at me thoughtfully, "Did you? How come?"

"Angeal…He reminds me…of a brother," I answered, a hand on my chin as I sighed, "I just needed to talk to someone who was on the outside that day. Angeal told me that I should think things through before I decide anything."

Sarah nodded slowly, "Angeal is right."

I exhaled, "All Tseng and I did was use each other while trying to get to the top spot in our organizations…didn't we?"

"That's not completely true," Sarah said, taking her bottled water that she'd set on the table and sipping at it, "I think you really loved each other for a while…but things just got so out of hand. I think it became more about your jobs, but it tore you apart, Kat. It's like every time he begged you to stay, you did…You lost who you were and it was like you became… _him. _Four years we had to live without you…and I don't know what made you decide to leave him that day, but it was the best thing you could have done for yourself, Kat."

I looked down at the floor for a moment, "…Nothing mattered…It was like I didn't exist. But what happened that night…Tseng and I have to get to the point where we can talk about it…but, you'll be the first to know when I'm ready to talk about it."

She patted my arm, "He didn't hurt you…did he?"

I shook my head, "Not physically, no."

Sarah exhaled, "You used to be so happy…I wish you'd never met him…"

"If I hadn't though…I wouldn't be who I am today," I said with a deep breath, "I won't lose myself like that again. I was an idiot…and to top it all off…I was a complete ass to you guys."

Sarah blinked and smiled, "Yeah, you were, but you're back now and that's what counts."

I nodded, "And it's good to be myself again."

Tifa turned, looking at us with a huge smile, "Okay! Sarah's turn!"

Sarah groaned and I smiled, helping her up, "C'mon, Sarah. You've been stabbed and lived, but you can't live through a dress fitting?"

"But I hate dresses!" She whined.

"So, you like being stabbed?" Tifa snorted, holding up a dark blue material toward Sarah.

She grimaced, "More than I love dresses."

They laughed, but I was lost in my own world…

* * *

_I walked through the apartment, the study light was on; I smiled slightly. Tseng was home…Because he was working to be Director of the Turks he was never home. Neither was I though, in my own endeavor to become Shin-Ra's first female Director of SOLDIER._

_I dropped my work bag by the door and locked it behind me. I walked through the living room and down the small hallway around the left corner. Through the French double doors was Tseng, glasses on and a book in his hand. I leaned against the door frame, just watching him until he looked up and noticed me. _

_He jerked, "Goddess, Kat! You scared me!"_

_I laughed quietly, "Sorry. I was just mesmerized. I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed before…"_

_He smiled and beckoned me into the room, I walked around the desk and sat on the corner. He held my hands in his, "I've missed you."_

_"You were gone a long time…" I said softly, looking concerned, "What happened?"_

_"The President wanted me at his side for the last six months in the Rocket Town area," Tseng answered, pressing cool lips to my jaw._

_I looked at my engagement ring, then I looked at him, "How long will you be here this time?"_

_Tseng frowned, looking at me, "Kat…You don't want to know…"_

_I exhaled, sitting back and staring at him, "How long, Tseng?"_

_"…I leave tomorrow…"_

_I got up and walked back to the door, he watched me from the desk as I said, "How long will you be gone this time?"_

_He looked down at his papers, "…Minimum…is a year."_

_I stared at him, "…Are you serious? A year?"_

_Tseng looked at me carefully, "I want you to come with me, Kat."_

_I stopped breathing, "What?"_

_"Kat, come with me, please," Tseng said as he got up and stood in front of me, "Please?"_

_I swallowed, unable to really process what he was asking of me, "…Tseng…I can't."_

_Tseng looked at me, eyes full of disbelief, "You won't go with me?"_

_"An entire year without seeing the girls?" I asked, shaking my head, "I hardly see them now and I live two blocks away!"_

_"Exactly! What is it going to hurt you if you don't see them for awhile!" Tseng replied back, "I guess it comes down to this, Kat. It's me or them, you choose."_

_I stared, tears stinging my eyes, "Tseng…"_

_He crossed his arms and looked at me triumphantly, thinking he'd won. I had a hand over my heart as I shook my head, turning away from him and walking down the hall. I went into our room and grabbed a bag, Tseng's voice was close, "Kat, what are you doing?"_

_I threw clothes into the bag, ignoring him until he grabbed me by the arm, "Sarah!"_

_I felt anger rise within me at hearing my first name come from his mouth, I snatched my arm from him, "Don't you dare call me by my name!"_

_He stared at me, "What are you doing?"_

_I picked up my bag and threw it over my shoulder, "If you're going to make me choose between them and you…Then you'll lose every time. They're my family and we've been through more together than you'll ever know."_

_"Kat, don't do this!" Tseng said, trying to stop me as I went around him, but I ducked and walked as quickly as I could to the front door._

_I turned, looking at him with my hand on the doorknob, and then I dropped my engagement ring in the floor, "I'll be back for my stuff in a few days…Goodbye, Tseng. Maybe one day…you'll understand why this happened…"_

_"Kat!"_

* * *

"Kat! It's your turn!" Sarah said, shaking me by my shoulder.

I opened my eyes and stared up at her, "What…? Oh, sorry. I must have dozed off…"

Sarah looked at me with a worried expression, "You in there, kiddo?"

I smiled, sighing heavily, "Yeah. So, my turn, eh? What'll it be, Tifa?"

She grinned, "I've got something in mind for you, Kat."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm so delighted."

The girls all laughed and I was back in the present, where I belonged.

* * *

"I am totally freaking out!" Zack exclaimed at Cloud as they walked down the hallway from training. Both were sweaty and ready for a shower, but Zack was persistent in talking about this.

Cloud exhaled heavily, his gym bag over his shoulder, "Zack, if you like her then just ask her to this stupid dance."

"What? You're not going to ask Kat?" Zack asked, surprised.

The blond sighed, scratching the back of his head, "I've never even been to this thing and I've been with the company for years. Plus…I don't even know how to talk to her. We've been in the same room for a grand total of about twenty four hours and we live in the same stupid room."

Zack shook his head, "Dude, if you don't ask her soon then Ts-someone else will!"

Cloud frowned as they stopped outside their doors, "What do you mean by that?"

Zack panicked, he'd opened his mouth and didn't know what to do. He improvised, "Because these girls are gorgeous! I mean, even Angeal is interested in them!"

Cloud made a face, "…I guess you've got a point…"

Zack smiled and nodded, _'Good work, Fair. He'll never suspect that she was engaged to-'_

"Oh, yeah," Cloud said, interrupting his thoughts, "What were you saying last week about Kathleen? Something about she'd been engaged?"

Zack deadpanned, _'Shit!'_

Cloud frowned again at his friend, "Okay then…I'll just ask Kat later. I'm going to go shower. Later."

Zack nodded to himself and went to answer Cloud, "Oh, I was…Cloud? Oops…Oh well."

Then Zack went into his own room to shower as well.

* * *

Sephiroth leaned against the wall, snickering as Genesis bent over trying to catch his breath. Angeal only shook his head as he wiped the sweat from his brow, "Geez, were you two really training or were you really fighting?"

Genesis looked up at Sephiroth, "That depends."

"I'm sure it does," Sephiroth said with a blank expression.

Angeal looked back and forth between his two friends, "What's going on that has you at each other's throats?"

"Sephiroth followed Rosa on our date," Genesis snapped, glaring at his friend, "He had her thoroughly freaked out for days!"

"You're just mad because she talks to me more than she talks to you now," Sephiroth said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

Angeal stared at them, "Wait…This is about…_a girl_? You nearly _killed me_ because you're fighting each other over Rosa?"

"Yes!" Genesis and Sephiroth both said at once.

Angeal stared at them, "…I'm going back to my room to shower. I can't handle this right now."

The two watched as their friend walked out the door, then Genesis glared at Sephiroth, "You live with her! You could've made your move first, but you didn't! You lost, Sephiroth-Where are you going while I'm talking to you!"

Sephiroth pushed himself off the wall and walked out the door, "Shower. Later!"

Genesis ground his teeth together, "By the Goddess' will…He is so infuriating!"

Then the last of the three walked out the door…

* * *

I stretched as Tifa let me off the stool, "Thank the Goddess! I'm so glad that's over!"

Tifa laughed, having had her fitting done hours before, "You girls really don't like dresses, do you?"

"No!" Sarah and I shouted at the same time Rosa said, "Yes!"

Tifa laughed at us, "You guys!"

We all said our goodbyes to Tifa and headed back to the Shin-Ra building, splitting up and heading to our rooms. I simply went to my bed and headed for a nap.

The day had been _very_ stressful for me.

* * *

Sarah wasn't listening as she entered the room, she was focused on one thing, "God, the needles kept poking me! I'm itchy…I should take a shower."

She went over to the bathroom door and opened it, not really paying attention as she strolled inside. Sarah opened up the cabinet below the sink and grabbed a towel before standing back up. Then she looked in the mirror…

"OH, MY GODDESS!"

* * *

Rosa was humming to herself loudly, singing a song she'd made up about Chocobos, when she entered her room. She looked around for Sephiroth, but she kept singing as she headed into the kitchen and grabbed a soda. She took a drink and then put it back, deciding it was pretty nasty.

She turned and headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth, she opened the door and gaped at the poor man in the shower…

"_Daaamn, Sephy_!"

* * *

A hand shook me awake, but I rolled over, "No…Go away, Sarah…I will not get up to go drinking with you two again…"

I heard a soft chuckle, "Kat? You've got two very embarrassed looking visitors at the door."

I opened my eyes and saw Cloud standing close to me, I smiled, "You're kind of gorgeous, you know."

He snickered, "Kat, I'm serious."

I yawned, sitting up as he backed up a few feet, "So was I, but could you let them in? I'm like _this_ close to going back to sleep."

Cloud rolled his Mako blue eyes, "Well, thanks then. You're pretty gorgeous yourself, Kat."

"Oh, shut up," I said, mildly embarrassed as Sarah and Rosa both came rushing in. One had a hand clapped over her nose and her head tilted back, both _were_ red in the face. Cloud shut the door and came back, sitting on his bed as I said, "What's up, girls?"

Rosa exploded into random screaming noises, causing both Cloud and I to clap our hands over our ears. Once she'd stopped moving her mouth, we both put our hands down. I stared at Sarah and then said, "Do you have a nosebleed!"

She nodded her head slightly, Rosa waved her arms around wildly, "THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU!"

I put a hand over my forehead, "Oh, Goddess…What happened in the last ten minutes that has caused the end of the world as we know it?"

"I SAW SEPHIROTH NAKED!" Rosa screamed loudly, causing Cloud's eyes to widen and me to stare in disbelief. The tan girl looked dismayed, "IT'S TRUE!"

I tried not to laugh, I honestly did, but I burst out in laughter anyway. Even Cloud chuckled a bit. Then I looked at Sarah, "What's your excuse?"

Cloud got up and grabbed a towel so Sarah could wipe the blood on her hands off. Sarah nodded at Cloud once she was clean and had the towel pressed to her nose, "Thanks, Cloud."

"No problem," he said, sitting on his bunk again.

I gave Sarah a look, "So…?"

"I s-saw Zack…in the s-shower," she said, sounding terrified and yet oddly pleased with herself at the same time.

I exhaled, "Wow. So I'm the only one who didn't walk in on their roommate naked today?"

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck and whistled loudly, pretending not to have heard me as the girls nodded. I sighed, "Tell me the first thing you did was not scream or yell compliments at them before running to me."

Both girls looked guilty.

I sighed again, "My life is officially dysfunctional."

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Like it wasn't before?"

"Touché, my friend," I said, looking at him, "Touché."

* * *

"Sometimes I feel like I'm in elementary school all over again," I said to Cloud as we walked the two girls down the hall to Rosa and Sephiroth's room. I made a random hand gesture, "Like right now we're walking to the Principal's office."

Cloud smirked, "I really don't know what to expect around you half the time, you know."

I winked at him, "Stick around and maybe you'll find out."

I could've sworn he went pink for a moment, but my attention was on Rosa, who was squirming the closer we got to her room. She whined, "I don't want to talk to him!"

"Rosa, you just got over this! Please don't do it again!" I said in frustration as I knocked on the door.

It swung opened suddenly and there stood Sephiroth in his tight black pants and no shirt. He blinked at me and then tilted his head, "Kathleen? How could I help you?"

I smiled sweetly and pulled Rosa in front of me, "Someone would like to apologize for being so rude and walking in on you in the shower."

Rosa went _completely_ red in the face, "S-Sorry…"

Sephiroth shrugged, "No big deal. Accidents happen."

I looked at Rosa, who was gaping openly at the man who also held my title, "See? I told you it'd be fine. Things like this just happen sometimes."

She looked at me and nodded mutely before following Sephiroth back into their room. I turned to Sarah, "Your turn or are you going to go freely?"

Sarah held the bloodied towel to her face, "…Please go with me?"

I looked at Cloud, he shrugged, "It's good entertainment."

I sighed, "Let's go, bloody."

Sarah, even though she was a great SOLDIER, had random and frequent nosebleeds. Other times they weren't so random, but most of the time they were. I couldn't believe I was the youngest out of the three of us by a week and most of the time I acted like the oldest.

I knocked on the door across the hallway and we waited a few seconds…then the door opened. Zack looked at the three of us and blushed a deep red, "Sorry about earlier, Sarah…"

"N-No," she said suddenly, taking the towel from her face, "It was my fault…I should've knocked or something. I'm sorry."

They both stood there, looking at each other awkwardly, until I pushed Sarah toward the room, "Now, go make up or something. I've got some Z's to catch up on."

The door closed and left Cloud and I alone in the hallway. Cloud turned to our door, but I grabbed his arm, "Let's go take a walk."

Cloud looked at me quizzically, "A walk? I thought we were going back to the room…?"

I smiled, dragging him down the hallway with me, "You and I haven't had any time to get to know each other. I want to fix that, if it's all right with you, Cloud?"

Cloud suddenly smiled back as we stepped into the elevator, "Sure, I've got no problem with that at all."

I beamed, _'Maybe things are getting better after all…'_

We walked around Midgar, he showed me the places he used to hang out in the Slums. Cloud showed me where the old 7th Heaven had been, but there had been some shady characters around that scared Tifa so she moved.

Cloud looked at me as we strolled through the playground in Sector 5, "So, what was Wutai like? Do you miss it?"

I smiled, looking up at the plate that we lived on, and said, "Do I miss it…? In a way, I guess. I had too many bad memories of the place to wish I was back though. If it wasn't the troops then it was the Turks or the war, vice versa and that kind of thing. Otherwise, it was a beautiful place. The wilderness and its creatures…"

I exhaled heavily, "It's so different compare to Midgar…but if I hadn't had that accident with the Firaga Materia…then we'd never have met you guys. We've only been here a few weeks…but I feel like we're one team. Like we all watch out for each other a little bit each day. I feel safe here."

Cloud nodded, "I agree. I grew up in a city far away from here called Nibelheim, Tifa grew up there, too. It's not that far from Gongaga, you know. All that's out there is country and mountains…It's a pretty slow city, but it's got a Mako Reactor in Mount Nibel, so it gets a bit of attention."

I smiled as we walked past the playground and near a church that looked like it was still completely together. Cloud's grin lit up as he opened the door, "This is kind of like mine and Zack's hangout. We had a friend who grew flowers out here, even though people said it couldn't be done. She got sick and died a while back though…"

I looked at the sad expression on his face as we walked inside, "I'm sorry…What was her name?"

He shook his head, "Aerith Gainsborough. It's sad that she died, but she was really sick…so I guess it's a good thing that she was finally able to just let go. The thing is though, ever since she passed away…no one has tended the flowers and yet…"

We reached the front of the church and I gasped softly, seeing the white and yellow flowers in full bloom. Cloud finished, "…and yet they bloom here like someone's still caring for them."

I knelt, touching the flowers gently, "They're so pretty…"

Cloud sat on one of the wooden pews, "I think Zack had a crush on her. Aerith, I mean…but now he seems to finally be moving on."

I stood and went to sit by him, "What do you mean?"

He shrugged, looking embarrassed, "It seems like everyone has been able to relax ever since you girls got here. It's a relief, honestly. Zack…I think he's really gotten attached to Sarah. She's helping him move on and she doesn't even realize it."

I tilted my head and smiled, "Sarah…She's got a way with people."

"That she does…" Cloud said, both of us staring at the flowers, until he said, "Kat…A few days ago Zack came busting into our room and was telling me about someone having a fiancé. He said it was you…I was just wondering…who it was? Zack was going to tell me, but then you showed up and then everything happened…"

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, knowing this conversation would happen sooner or later, "…It's an ex-fiancé. He works…with our department sometimes, but it's over."

Cloud gave me a careful look, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Kat. I understand. We've only known each other for a few weeks…"

I shook my head, "That's not it…I just don't talk about this a lot."

"Did he…hurt you?" Cloud asked venomously.

I smiled and shook my head again, "Not physically. He…" _'Here it goes…' _"He was trying to make me choose between him or the girls. He was telling me that I couldn't have a life with my 'sisters' and him…So…I left him. I just didn't realize…I would run into him again here."

Cloud put a hand on mine, "Does anyone else know?"

"About him making me choose? No," I answered, "Please don't tell anyone else. Sarah would be furious if she knew…"

Cloud patted my hand, "Agreed…We should head back, it's late."

I nodded in agreement and we walked back to the building, talking the whole way. By the time I hit my pillow that night I was completely exhausted.

Thank the Goddess for sleep!

* * *

**Leave a review and I'll leave a new chapter? :)**

**~Sarah~**


	7. The Annual ShinRa Ball

**So, here's Chapter Seven of 'Someday'! To start off, thank you to everyone who has been reading up to this point. It means a lot to me, but it means even more when you review and let me know what you liked about the story. ;) Now to thank my reviewers. **

**ShatterTheHeavens, I think Kat would agree with you on the dresses. Sarah, not so much. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen the actual Sarah wear anything but shorts! As for Kat walking in on Cloud...I'll let you draw your own conclusions. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Axelxroxie, I thought you'd like that. ;) Rosa and Sephiroth, what an interesting pair, eh?**

**Rhianna224, thanks for reviewing! Hopefully I can keep you interested! :)**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. Isn't that enough?**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**The Annual Shin-Ra Ball**

Sarah, Rosa, and Zack were walking down the hall the morning of the Ball, heading toward the bar for breakfast and to meet up with the others. There was a long silence and then Rosa said, "So…You guys figure out who you're going to the Ball with?"

Zack scratched the back of his head and Sarah sighed heavily, "No."

Rosa clapped excitedly, "You should go together!"

Zack paled, Sarah glared. Rosa twirled around excitedly as they got into the elevator, "We could all go as a big group and do the Macarena!"

Zack exhaled as Sarah relaxed, Rosa stared at them, "What's wrong with you two?"

"Nothing!" They both exclaimed.

Rosa looked at Zack and then Sarah, "What-?"

"AH!" Sarah shouted, throwing her head back and clasping a hand over her nose. Zack stared as Sarah shouted, "Stop the elevator! I'm bleeding!"

"What!" Zack asked, completely freaked out as he searched for a potion in his pocket, "What happened!"

Rosa stared at Sarah and Zack as they both flailed, trying to get the bleeding to stop, but the more Zack tried to help, the more Sarah's nose seemed to bleed. Rosa snickered, "Geez, Sarah! Keep your pants on!"

There was a brief moment where both SOLDIERs stared at her and then looked at each other before saying, "What?"

Zack was finally allowed to help Sarah stop the bleeding with a potion and Rosa just hummed to herself loudly.

The rest of the trip to breakfast was insanely silent.

* * *

I walked down the hall toward the briefing room, ignoring Reno as he followed me, "No, Reno! Stop asking me because the answer is still no!"

Reno walked in front of me, backwards, and begged, "C'mon, Kat! Just this once! I'll never ask you anything ever again!"

I crossed my arms and glared at him, "Reno!"

He dropped down onto his knees and clasped his hands together, "Kat!"

I stared at him a long time and then said, "Reno…I'm not going to say 'yes' to Tseng."

Reno did the puppy dog look and I scowled deeply, "You've been talking with Zack."

"Please!" Reno begged.

I made a face, clenching my teeth, as I stared at him, "I…Reno…"

"Hey, Kat!" Angeal said from behind me, "I think you and I should have a talk while we walk to breakfast, where everyone is waiting on us."

I looked at Reno a long time before facing Angeal, "Yeah," I turned back to Reno, "The answer is still no. Tell him to leave me alone."

Reno sighed heavily and walked the other direction as Angeal and I got into the elevator, "What was that about?"

I grimaced, "Tseng keeps sending the Turks to ask me if I'll go to the Ball with him."

Angeal scoffed, "He can't come ask you himself?"

"I wouldn't say 'yes' even if he did," I said defensively, "Besides…He already _has_ come and asked me to my face. Twice."

Angeal hissed and made a weird face, "Ooh, what happened?"

"It's like he's following me," I said exasperatedly, throwing my hands in the air, "I walked out of my room and he's standing there! I tell him no and leave, I turn around and he's gone. I get to the elevator and _he is there_! I told him to go away and I haven't seen him since then. I _have_ seen Rude, Reno, Cissnei, and Vincent since then."

"Kat, he's got it bad for you, you know," Angeal said as he pressed the button and he looked at me, "Are you sure you don't just want to sit down and talk with him…?"

"…Talk…?" I said slowly, thinking it over, "But…he doesn't seem like he understands why I left in the first place. If he didn't learn anything…then why should I waste my time?"

"Good point, but I've got this feeling that you'll be here a while and as long as you're here you'll have to work with him," Angeal said as the doors opened on the sixth floor suddenly, startling us with Cloud rubbing his eyes.

I beamed and waved, "Morning, Cloud!"

The sleepy looking blond waved tiredly, "Morning, Kat…Angeal…"

Angeal gave me a look, I smiled at Cloud, "So, how'd you sleep?"

"Okay, I guess," he said with a yawn, "Just tired."

I nodded, "Same."

Angeal laughed quietly, "Getting your exercise this morning though, aren't you, Davis?"

I grimaced as Cloud looked at me, "What does that mean?"

I glared at Angeal, "Thanks."

Angeal made a face, expressing that he'd just realized what he'd said, "Sorry…"

I looked at Cloud, "My ex. He's sending his friends constantly to me this morning, trying to get them to convince me to go with him to the Ball tonight. I've been avoiding them all morning."

The elevator lurched to a stop and we all walked out, heading toward the bar for the breakfast meeting of sorts. Cloud frowned, "He's harassing you?"

Angeal looked at me, "It is harassment, you know."

I shook my head, "I'm hoping I'll just have someone 'escort' me to the Ball so he'll leave me alone."

Angeal and Cloud looked at one another, seeming to have a silent conversation with each other until Cloud said, "I'll escort you, if you want."

I beamed, hugging him suddenly, "Would you? Thank you, Cloud!"

We walked through the doors of the 7th Heaven to find Sephiroth and Genesis sitting across the bar, glaring at each other, while Rosa sat next to Genesis, trying to help Sarah with her latest nosebleed, along with Zack and Tifa's help. Angeal looked around the room and then at Cloud and I, "It doesn't get much nuttier than this, huh?"

I smiled, "It's Christmas Eve, you know. Weird things tend to happen…"

I walked over to Sarah and Rosa, "Morning, girls!"

"Hey," Rosa said as she adjusted Sarah's head to the side, "Lord, Sarah, what is with you today?"

Sarah looked at me through the corner of her eye, "Mornin', Kat."

I shook my head and put my hands on my hips, "What happened?"

"Random nosebleed," Rosa explained as she released Sarah, "You're good to go. It's the second or third one this morning."

I shook my head, "Sarah…"

"I'm sorry, but it's not like I can control it!" She defended.

Tifa smiled at us, "Sit down and I'll get you some coffee and food."

"Thanks, Tifa," I said as I sat next to Zack. I looked at him, "What's wrong with you?"

He shook his head, "Nothing and good morning to you, too."

I smirked, elbowing him in the ribs slightly, "What? No date to the Ball? Is it like being in high school again?"

He scowled, "I had loads of dates in high school, thank you! But…yeah. That's pretty much the summary of my wonderful mood. What? Are you telling me you've got a date?"

I nodded with a smile, "Cloud's being my escort."

"Escort? What's the deal with that?" Zack asked, looking over his shoulder at Cloud and Angeal, who were sitting at a table across the room due to lack of space at the bar.

I exhaled, "Tseng is…persistent, if nothing else. He keeps sending the Turks to ask if I'll go with him. I was talking to Angeal and Cloud, sort of, about my ex who was harassing me and Cloud offered to be my escort. I'm hoping Tseng will leave me alone tonight when he realizes I'm with someone."

Zack scowled, "You could have asked me."

"I couldn't find you this morning, but aren't you going to ask…?" I looked over his shoulder at Sarah.

He looked at me oddly, "Why…would I do that…?"

I whispered, "It's obvious you like her."

Zack went beat red, "Kat!"

I grinned triumphantly, "Just ask her! I bet you she'll say yes!"

He looked at me curiously, "You're…sure? She'll go with me if I ask?"

I nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

Zack turned and tapped Sarah on the shoulder, he went mute as she turned to gaze at him, "Yes?"

He stared at her, looking like he was going to be sick, so I leaned around him, "Zack would like to know if you'd go to the Ball with him tonight, Sarah."

Zack went an even deeper red, if it were possible, as Sarah looked at him, "Really…?"

He nodded, looking like he'd swallowed his tongue, and she smiled softly, "Sure. I'd love to."

He exhaled, a slow smile on his face, "Really?"

Sarah grinned, "Of course. You're a funny, good looking guy. Why wouldn't I go with you?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck, "Because I'm an idiot that has to have your best friend ask you out for me?"

Sarah laughed, "It's all apart of your…_charm_, Zack… You're kind of like…a puppy. You're all excitement and courage, but the moment something like this comes up you're suddenly hiding."

Zack scowled at the reference as Angeal walked over and was snickering, "See, Zack? It's not just us. Other people think of you as a 'Puppy', too."

Sarah went back to talking with Rosa as Zack turned to me and Angeal went to the restrooms behind the bar. Zack looked at me, "Thanks, Kat."

"You just needed a push," I said as Tifa came back and handed me a cup of coffee and a small plate of bacon, "Thanks, Tifa!"

"No problem, Kat," she laughed, "Just don't forget what comes _after_ that bacon."

I scowled, "Dresses…"

Zack snickered, "Now this I've _got _to see! Kat in a dress?"

Tifa wagged a finger at him, "No, no, no! Not until tonight!"

Genesis looked over at me, realizing I was there, "Ah, another Goddess has decided to show her face today!"

Rosa rolled her eyes, "I thought _I _was the Goddess?"

Genesis turned, giving her a dashing smile, "You are," then he glared at Sephiroth, "You're _my_ Goddess."

Rosa giggled and I sighed, _'A love triangle in the making…'_

I spoke to Genesis, "You seem to be in a good mood this morning?"

"Oh, yes. I asked a beautiful young woman to the Shin-Ra Ball and she said yes," he said, smiling at Rosa again.

I nodded, "Congrats for you, Gen!"

"What about you, Kat?" Sarah said, everyone turning to look at me.

Cloud stretched as Tifa came back out, he walked over and got his coffee from her, "I'm taking her."

"What!" Rosa exclaimed, a look of sheer happiness on her face.

"Really?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows arched.

Genesis patted him on the back, "Excellent work, Cloud!"

Sephiroth only glowered at his food, ignoring the rest of us. I frowned, watching him, but decided to keep it to myself for now. Soon after the boys were heading out and the girls and I were staying with Tifa.

Sephiroth was the last to get up, so as he was leaving I ran over to him, "Hey, Seph! What's up?"

He shook his head, he was staring over my head, "It's nothing."

I looked over my shoulder to see Rosa saying goodbye to Genesis, I looked back at him and smiled, "You know something…She might have said 'yes' to Genesis, but I bet if you _really_ try tonight then she'll dance with you."

Sephiroth looked slightly alarmed for a second and then he exhaled, "…Am I that obvious?"

"Nearly as obvious as Zack and Sarah, but not quite," I said with a sympathetic smile. I clasped my hands together behind my back and said, "Just relax tonight. You kind of scare everyone when you're so on edge, you know?"

He nodded, running a hand through his silver hair, "Thanks, Kat. I'll take your advice."

I waved at him, "Bye, Sephy!"

He scowled at the name, but walked away with a wave, following Angeal and the others out the door. Tifa came over and put a hand on my shoulder, "Sephiroth in trouble?"

"Something like that," I said with a laugh, "Who would have thought the Great Sephiroth would fall for…" We both looked over at Rosa and Sarah; Sarah was flailing about trying to get a towel to clean up the mess Rosa had just made by knocking a cup of coffee onto her self. I made a face as I looked at Rosa and then at Tifa, "…that?"

Tifa laughed, shaking her head, "No one, I think. Let's get ready, we've only got a few hours."

I laughed to myself and agreed, "Let's get this show on the road, my friend!"

* * *

Only a few streets over, two of the five men were in a clothing store as one, Zack Fair, panicked-realizing he didn't have a tux. Cloud, the ever loyal best friend, was helping him look for something normal-considering the previous year Zack had shown up in a bright purple tux of some kind.

None of the others were letting Zack forget that anytime soon.

Cloud sighed as Zack did squats and talked quickly, "…I can't believe…Kat did that…! Asking Sarah…to the Ball for me…?"

"She probably figured if she didn't say anything then you'd be alone for the rest of your life," Cloud said off handedly, searching the picked over racks for something, because Zack wasn't doing anything.

Zack gasped dramatically, "Thanks, Cloud! That really hurts!"

Cloud rolled his eyes and threw a garment bag at Zack, "Try that on and stop looking at the outrageous colors. Sarah will leave you in your room if you show up in bright purple."

Zack scowled and walked into the dressing room, "I guess you're right…"

Cloud leaned against the wall and looked out the store's window, _'…Who could Kat be avoiding in the company…?'_

Zack came out in the tux moments later, "Good?"

Cloud gave him a glance and nodded, "Yeah. Get it and let's go."

The two men headed toward the building, only to see Angeal and Genesis talking outside the front. Zack sauntered up, waving, "Hey, guys! What's going on?"

Angeal shook his head, looking stressed and irritated, "Genesis and Sephiroth. They're at it again."

Cloud frowned, "What? Rosa?"

Zack looked confused, "What's going on?"

"Basically, Sephiroth and Genesis are fighting over Rosa-who is oblivious to the entire thing-and Genesis here is being a total moron because Sephiroth is suddenly cheerful again despite Genesis having Rosa as his date," Angeal explained, then his shoulders slumped, "I feel like I'm in a soap opera."

Cloud had a hand over his face as he shook his head, _'I know the feeling, Angeal…'_

"So?" Zack shrugged, "Just stay with Rosa and things should be fine, right?"

Genesis nodded, "Yeah."

The four went inside, three of whom were nervous beyond their minds…

* * *

"Okay," Tifa said, fixing Sarah's hair one last time, "I think you're good now."

Sarah stood up and stretched, "Have I ever mentioned how much I _hate_ Lazard for giving this order? I hate dresses, too! There's no mobility in them! What if we get attacked? How will we defend the President?"

I looked at Sarah, crossing my legs as I sat on a chair, "I'm in a dress, so you're staying in yours. Deal with it."

She crossed her arms and pouted, "No fair!"

I stared at her, "Is Zack teaching _everyone_ that!"

Sarah grinned, "Hey! It usually works!"

"Not on me," I lied.

Sarah sighed, "I am still irritated…"

"Ditto," I said as I stood up, pulling the straps on my shoes down a little, "These shoes are cutting into my ankle and I haven't even _walked in_ them."

Sarah sighed, "Your shoes _are_ probably the worst."

I looked down at the killer high heels and grimaced, "Tifa only chose them because I'm a midget."

"You're…not a midget," Sarah said, thinking hard about what she was saying, "You're just…a little short."

"I'm a midget," I reinforced.

"You're fun sized," Sarah said, looking thoughtful.

I stared at her, "You read that on a candy bar!"

She looked stunned, "Did I…? Oops…"

"Sarah!"

"Okay, Rosa's done!" Tifa said as they walked out of the bathroom.

Tifa was in a deep red dress, it cut off below her knees and had thin spaghetti straps, showing off just enough skin to make the dress and her look gorgeous.

Rosa was in dark green, it hugged her form and fell to the floor with a slit on the left hip and the straps were tight on her arms, leaving her shoulders bare. It looked wonderful on her.

Sarah had a deep scowl on her face as she looked at herself in the mirror once more.

She had a dark blue dress on that was the shortest of the lot. It sparkled slightly under the lights, there was small clasp on the front of the dress in the center that held the straps of the dress that went around her neck. The dress itself cut off above her knees, looking slightly torn, but like it'd been done on purpose-which it had-and it looked great on her.

I inhaled sharply, "Are we ready to go?"

"The boys should be coming by any time," Tifa said, fussing with my hair for a second.

"Who are you going with, Tifa?" Rosa asked, curiously.

"Oh, Reno," Tifa answered with a shrug, "He asked and so I said yes."

The door in the front of the bar opened, we all went really quiet, and then we heard, "Hello…?"

Tifa pushed Sarah toward the door, "Go!"

Sarah grimaced, "I look stupid. I feel stupid."

"You look wonderful! Zack is out there waiting on you!" I said pushing her to the door, once I'd pushed her out I locked the door.

She banged on it and yelled, "Damn it, Kat!"

It went quiet and then we heard soft talking before a loud, "Bye, guys! See you in a bit! I hate your guts, Kat!"

"I love you, too!" I yelled as I unlocked the door and stuck my head out, just in time to see Sarah's lovely hand gesture at me, "Ooh! Sarah! I'm telling!"

"Bite me!" She said as she and Zack left, the door closing behind them.

I snickered turning back to the others, "One down three to go, eh?"

Tifa smiled grandly, "Your dresses turned out so perfect!"

I smiled back, "Thanks for doing this, Tifa. You really came through for us."

"You girls have made my life so much more interesting since you showed up here! It's hard to believe you've only been here a little over a month!" Tifa laughed.

Rosa sighed, "Sarah and Kat got all the shinnies."

I looked at my dress in the mirror and inhaled sharply. I didn't look like the General I was supposed to be, no, I looked just like Rosa, Sarah, and Tifa. I looked oddly _good_.

The dress was black and flowed to the ground from the waist. The waist had a large beaded section with sparkles weaved in it, giving it a belt like appearance. The top was cut rather low into a v, the straps were thin, but rested on my shoulders.

I appraised the dress, Tifa really was a genius, but I didn't deserve to be wearing something so nice. Sarah was right on that point, I didn't belong in a dress, none of us did. Rosa loved them, but we were SOLDIERs. We needed to be ready at any moment, we couldn't fight in these dresses.

Tifa patted Rosa's shoulder, pulling me out of my own world, "Next year you can have the shinny dress."

She beamed, "Yay!"

The door opened in the bar again, this time a voice called, "_'Wings of light and dark spread afar…'_"

Rosa beamed and ran out the door, "Bye, guys!"

I sat down again, the shoes killing me, and said, "…You lived in Nibelheim, right?"

She nodded, "Why?"

I looked at her and then decided to change my question, "When you were little…was there ever something you wanted to be? You couldn't always wanted to have been a bar keep."

"To be honest, I always wanted to fight, but Shin-Ra wouldn't take me after I came all this way to try out…I was already here…so I just stayed. I would have loved to own a clothing store or something, but a bar was in need and it makes the money I need," she answered, she tapped the floor with the toe of her shoe, "Kat, I wanted to ask you something. Is Cloud-?"

"Tifa?"

She looked at me and then shook her head, "Never mind. Could you lock up when Cloud gets here?"

I nodded and took the keys from her, "Sure. See you in a bit, Tifa."

She smiled, "Later!"

I sat there in the backroom and just stared at the mirror for a long time. I murmured to myself, "Nibelheim…?"

* * *

_"My Mom said we aren't supposed to go in there!" Sarah said, crossing her arms defiantly in that four year old way of hers._

_I rolled my eyes, "The old Shin-Ra Mansion has been empty for years, Sarah! I just want to see what's in there!"_

_"Kat…" Sarah said, frowning at me._

_Rosa was standing beside me, "C'mon, Sarah! It'll be an adventure!"_

_A little girl with dark hair and dark eyes came running up to us, "You shouldn't go in there! My friend says it is haunted real bad!"_

_I looked at her, "Who are you?"_

_"I'm Tifa! I'm gonna be apart of SOLDIER one day!" She said proudly, pressing her thumb to her chest proudly, "Who are you?"_

_I remembered our mothers saying not to tell anyone who we were or why we were there and said, "We're just visiting…Who told you it was haunted?"_

_She grinned, "My best friend in the whole wide world! Cloud!"_

* * *

I frowned deeply, exhaling at the strange memory that I didn't completely recall, "…Did we…really go there…?"

There was a knock on the door, "Kat…? Are you in there?"

I inhaled deeply and opened the door, beaming at Cloud, "Sorry. I was lost in my own little world."

Cloud was in a clean cut tux, he looked relaxed and calm, something I wasn't just then. He looked at me carefully, "Are…you okay?"

I nodded too enthusiastically, "Yeah! Totally! Let's go?"

He nodded as well, a smile on his face, "You look…"

"I know, weird," I said with a laugh.

He shook his head, "I was going to say pretty, or something along those lines."

I bit my lip with a small smile, "Thanks…You look nice, too."

Cloud offered his arm, "Shall we?"

I let my grin sweep across my face and wrapped my arm around his, "I believe we shall."

My past worries slipped away, and the majority of me was happy about it. I didn't want to remember any of it…

And that was the way I wanted to keep it.

We walked into the Shin-Ra building's large room, where they usually have their huge press conferences on the 38th floor, and were awed. The room's large windows had snow on them, the decorations were all whites, blues, reds, and greens, and there were hundreds of people.

Rufus Shin-Ra walked by us and shook our hands, "General Kathleen; Cloud, I hope you enjoy the evening. I just saw your party in the back, it looked like someone was arguing though."

Cloud exhaled heavily, "Thanks, Rufus."

The Vice President smiled, nodded, and walked away as we headed toward the direction he'd indicated. In the very back corner, next to a window, was our large party…with Genesis glaring out at the dancing people.

Zack and Sarah were sitting together, both laughing at something; Tifa and Reno were talking with Angeal; and Sephiroth and Rosa were no where to be seen. Zack looked up and whistled loudly, "Damn, Tifa! Where did you learn to make dresses like that? You all look great!"

I rolled my eyes as he stood up and hugged me, whispering, "Thank, Kat. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't stepped in…"

"How is it going?" I whispered back.

He pulled back from me with a grin in reply, I smiled, "Don't let her go."

"I don't plan on it," he answered as he sat next to Sarah again.

Cloud and I sat down next to Sarah and Zack, Angeal said hello before being dragged off by the President, and then Rosa and Sephiroth stumbled out of the crowd and joined us.

Sephiroth complimented Tifa and I on our dresses and then pulled Rosa's chair out for her. Genesis glared at Sephiroth, but Sephiroth was too caught up in what Rosa was saying to notice. I looked at Genesis a long time before looking at Cloud, "Do you mind if I…?"

He looked over at Genesis and then me, "Nah, go ahead. Try and get him into a better mood if you can?"

I smiled, "Thanks, Cloud."

I stood up and walked to Genesis's side of the table, he looked up at me in surprise, "Kathleen?"

I held a hand out, "It's Kat, but you wouldn't make me dance alone, would you?"

He exhaled and then shook his head with a small smile, "Angeal said you had a way about you…"

I smirked, "Is that a yes?"

Genesis stood up, taking my hand and placing it on his arm as we headed to the ballroom floor, "Just to let you know, I can't dance."

I chuckled softly, patting his arm, "It's okay, I can't either."

* * *

Angeal went back to the table nearly fifteen minutes later, "Where's Kat and Genesis?"

Cloud looked over his shoulder and pointed out the two bumbling SOLDIERs, "Over there, making fools of themselves."

Angeal snickered, sitting down next to Cloud, "He seems to have cheered up a bit, hasn't he?"

Cloud let a smile slid onto his face, "Yeah. She's definitely something."

"That's one way to put it…" Angeal laughed, "Have you even danced with her yet?"

Cloud turned pink, "Ah…erm…No. I haven't."

Angeal shook his head, "You've got to get her next, because I'm seeing lots of people eyeing the female General. Word spreads quickly and all these political fools want to meet all three of the girls."

Cloud nodded, "Yeah."

Sarah and Zack both stood, Zack looked pleased with himself as he said, "We're going to dance."

Cloud and Angeal both waved to them, not noticing they were the only ones sitting at their table now. They sat there for a few minutes talking before Angeal suddenly got a look on his face, "Wonderful…"

Cloud frowned, "What's wrong?"

Angeal stood up, "Um…You remember why you were taking Kat here…?"

Cloud was on his feet in an instant, turning to look for her, but when he turned all he saw was Genesis, Kat, and Tseng of the Turks talking across the room. He looked at Angeal, "What are you talking about…?"

Angeal scratched the back of his head, "…It's a long story?"

Then Cloud put everything together in his head, "Damn it…!"

* * *

"Zack!" Sarah laughed, twirling about as they danced, "Where on Gaia did you learn to dance like this!"

Zack was red in the face from laughing as he pulled her back to him, "My Mom made me learn when my aunt got married. I just never forgot it, I guess."

Sarah beamed up at him as the dance slowed, letting Zack pull on her hand and take her to a different area of the room. The company had set up a huge Christmas tree near the exit and that's where they were headed.

They stood together under the tree, looking up at it and then Zack got an idea. He turned to Sarah and pointed up, "Look. Mistletoe…"

Sarah looked up and then smiled, "You're right. I guess that means I owe you something?"

Zack rolled his eyes with a huge smirk, "Well…maybe…"

He leaned down, going to kiss her when she suddenly got a look on her face. Zack stepped back, "What? What did I do?"

She pointed behind him, he turned and then the rage was on his face as well.

Together they said, "Tseng."

* * *

I smiled at Genesis once our dance was over, "Gen, there are tons of girls out there, you know. I'm sure there's one that would love to be with you, you just haven't found her yet."

Genesis only smirked at me, "Perhaps I shall steal you away from Cloud?"

I laughed, hugging him and then stepping away from him, "Ah, Gen, maybe one day, but I really should get back to him-"

"Excuse me?"

I froze, Genesis frowned at me and then at the 'oh-so-wonderful' person behind me, "I am not sure that is such a good idea, Tseng."

I turned very slowly, looking up at Tseng as he replied to Genesis, "I believe that would be her choice, wouldn't it?"

I made my entire face go cold as I stared emotionlessly, "I stand by what I said before."

Tseng didn't look surprised, instead he said, "Kat, be reasonable about this. All I want to do is talk with you."

"Going on a date is not talking," I replied looking at him blankly, "Regardless, I have no wish to talk to you right now. I should get back to my date-"

I saw Angeal behind Tseng, making hand gestures at me, but I didn't understand what he was trying to say. I furrowed my brow slightly, as Tseng said, "You need to listen to me, Kat-"

Then a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned and saw Cloud with a stony look on his face as he looked at Tseng, "Is there a problem here, Tseng?"

Angeal had a hand over his face, but I just tilted my head so he'd know it was okay to go. He nodded and went off somewhere as I turned to look at Cloud, "I was just coming to find you, you know."

Cloud gave me the fakest 'happy' smile I'd ever seen in my life, "Really?"

I smiled back and then he looked at Tseng, "We'll be going now. Coming, Gen?"

Tseng looked at Cloud darkly, "Just who are you supposed to be, Strife?"

"Whoever she needs me to be," Cloud replied coldly, putting an arm around my shoulders and leading Gen and I away.

I looked over my shoulder at Tseng, who was openly glaring at our backs, but I turned back and did my best to pretend it hadn't happened. Once we were back at our table Cloud let me go and Genesis took my hand in his, pressing his lips to my knuckles as he bowed, "Thank you, Kathleen, for the dance and for lifting my spirits," then he let me go and turned to Cloud, "And thank you, Cloud, for letting me borrow her."

Cloud nodded and I smiled, "No problem, Gen."

Genesis walked off into the crowd, I didn't see any of the others so I turned back to Cloud, who was staring at me oddly. I looked at my hands as I said, "…So…"

Cloud had a hand over his eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?"

I shook my head, "I don't know…I didn't want anyone here to know, but…everyone keeps finding out."

"Who knows?" He asked, sounding oddly calm.

"…Zack and Angeal…" I said slowly, "I only told Angeal. Rosa…kind of told Zack on accident. I just…when we came here I thought it was a way to start over. I didn't think I'd run right back into the past. I didn't want to relive it, so I kept it a secret and tried to handle it myself…It's blown up in my face."

Cloud exhaled heavily, "…That's why Zack didn't want to tell me."

I looked up him, "What?"

"Tseng and I…don't exactly get along," Cloud confessed, "I guess it was eight or nine years ago, we were just kids. Zack and I were only fifteen or fourteen, but we started training for SOLDIER together…It was around then that we met Aerith…"

Cloud took a breath before going on, "Tseng was just starting his training to become a Turk so he was around a lot, but one day he met Aerith by chance. Aerith didn't mind him, but he just…he really got on mine and Zack's nerves. I knew Zack liked her, but Tseng kept butting in. So one day I confronted Tseng and he said the only reason he had a real interest in Aerith was because he didn't want Zack or I to have her."

I stared, "What? _Tseng?_"

Cloud scoffed, "It isn't so hard to believe if you'd met him then. A total bastard, seems like he still is though…Anyway, I…got pretty mad and ended up breaking the jerk's nose. Told him, 'People aren't meant to be used like that,' or something. For the next year or so we constantly fought, verbal and physical, but then he was made a Turk and took off for somewhere. He was gone for a long time before he showed back up about three years ago."

Cloud ran a hand through his hair before looking at me, "I hate him, Kat. I hate him like I've never hated anyone else…That's why Zack didn't want to tell me that day in the kitchen. When you walked in he was hesitating, he didn't forget anything."

I bit my lip as Cloud finished, "…and now he's hurt you as well."

I looked up at Cloud, "That had nothing to do with you, Cloud. You couldn't have stopped it."

"No, but if I had known then I wouldn't have let you out of my sight for even a second," Cloud replied, a searing passion of some sort in his voice, "I'm sorry this even had to happen…and the prick is still looking at you."

I stiffened and said, "Pretend he isn't there. That's what I do."

Cloud smirked a little, "That must really get on his nerves."

"Oh, I think it does," I replied, relaxing a little, "That's why I do it."

Cloud's eyes were above my head again, then he smiled at me, "Care to dance? I think it would really annoy him."

I rolled my eyes and let him take my hand as he led me to the dance floor, "Even if it didn't annoy him, I would still love to dance with you."

The music had gone on to the next song, but I was back in my happy little bubble so I was okay…

* * *

Sarah and Zack had both watched the entire ordeal before looking at each other again. Both had mischievous smiles on their faces as they watched their friends dance for a few moments.

Sarah looked at Zack, "We have to get them together."

"I was thinking the same thing," he replied, looking at her.

Sarah smiled and gestured for him to come closer to her, Zack looked quizzical, "What-?"

Sarah suddenly kissed him and then pulled away. Zack looked dazed, "W-What was that for…?"

Sarah laughed before walking away, heading toward the table, "Mistletoe, remember?"

Zack stared and then ran after her, _'I have got to keep mistletoe around the room!'_

* * *

Rosa and Sephiroth were linked by the arm as they headed back to their room, both were totally enraptured with one another.

Sephiroth was laughing at something Rosa had said when he realized something, "Rosa…Shouldn't you have told Genesis you were leaving…?"

"Angeal said he'd tell him," Rosa replied, "I saw him on our way out."

Sephiroth looked at her, "…So…why _did_ you say 'yes' to Genesis?"

Rosa looked at him, "I figured that Sarah, Tifa, and Kat would all have dates and a certain someone hadn't asked me as of this morning. I wasn't going to be the only girl without one, so when Gen asked…"

"You said 'yes'," Sephiroth concluded.

Rosa smiled, "Next time just ask, you dork."

Sephiroth's eyes widened, "No one has ever called me that."

Rosa laughed as she opened their door, "Maybe you just have friends who are chickens?"

"Or maybe you just have way too much courage," Sephiroth said as he closed and locked their door behind him.

She turned, looking up at him with a smile on her face, "Maybe I do."

Rosa reached up and touched his face, bringing his face down to hers and kissed him. He kissed her back and when they parted he smiled, "Maybe you do."

* * *

I sat at the table in between Sarah and Cloud, it was nearly midnight, and ever since the incident with Tseng all of us had been dancing, talking, laughing, and having fun. Zack was talking to Angeal while Cloud said something to Genesis when I turned to Sarah and said quietly, "Hey…Have we ever been to Nibelheim…?"

She looked at me, looking alarmed, "What? Why?"

"I…I don't know," I answered truthfully, "This afternoon…when everyone left, I mean, I was sitting back there thinking about Nibelheim for some reason…I had a…a flashback, I guess? Anyway, I had this memory like thing of when we were kids, but we were in Nibelheim. I thought we had always lived outside Wutai…?"

Sarah stared at me for a long time, "Kat…We…Uh…Yeah, we were there for a day or two, but it's not something you want to remember. Trust me."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

She looked around at our friends to make sure they were occupied and then said, "You remember when your parents told you that you had amnesia when you were four?"

I nodded and she said, "You didn't get your Mako infusion through Shin-Ra, Kat. Some psycho kidnapped you, he did experiments on you with Mako…We were in Nibelheim right after our parents all rescued you. It was after that when we moved outside of Wutai. Until then we lived in a place called Banora, it's near Mideel…"

I looked at her, not able to comprehend what she was saying, "…Sarah…That's crazy…I would-"

"Remember that? You were four, the guy was psychotic and he didn't give a damn about you. All he cared about was his research. When…we finally found you…all I can remember is that you slept for ages and then you woke up one day outside of Nibelheim, screaming your head off," Sarah whispered, "I…never wanted you to remember any of that…"

I closed my eyes and put my hands over my cheeks, trying to remember anything, but nothing came to mind…just blackness…I shook my head, "I was kidnapped…and tortured for experiments…and I can't remember anything?"

Sarah looked at me, "I think it's better this way."

I stared at her, "Do you know who it was?"

She went to answer, but someone cleared his throat. We all looked up from our conversations to see a man standing at our table. He wore a long, white trench coat; glasses on his slightly wrinkled face, and his dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.

He had an odd smile on his face as he gazed directly at me, "General Sarah Kathleen Davis of SOLDIER…How I've wondered about you…"

"Excuse me?" I asked, appalled.

Sarah stared in terror and grabbed my arm under the table, I looked at her, "What? What's wrong?"

She stared at him and then looked at me, breathing a name-

"Hojo."

* * *

**And we all just LOVE Hojo, don't we? ;) If I get five reviews before Saturday then I'll update again, if not then don't expect an update until the 21st! Just click that lovely little button at the bottom and make the world a better place?**

**Ah, one last thing, it may bother some people, if not just ignore this. Lots of people spell 'Shinra' with a lower case 'r', but the sign has an uppercase a lot (if not all) of the time. I've been switching the way I spell it usually to the way everyone else spells it, but it takes time to fix that little thing every, single time, so from now on I'm leaving it 'Shin-Ra'. Thank you and sorry for wasting anyone's time. :)**

**Thanks for reading! (Please review~!)**

**~Sarah~**


	8. The Forgotten Past

**Because I know I'll never hear the end of it from Rosa if I don't post a chapter, I'm posting Chapter Eight now. Warning now, parts of the chapters ahead, especially parts with the different kinds of genes, won't make any actual sense because I wasn't really thinking of the realistic possibilities when I wrote this. So, please don't point out what is and isn't possible, it's a fiction story. Thanks. :)**

**Touketsu HerutsuandNai Homare, I hope I spelt that right. :) What other kind of love could I mean? Lol. Yeah, I pretty much hate Hojo with a passion so sometime in between I'll take my vengeance out on Hojo. When and where has yet to be decided though. Hope to have you review again soon! **

**ShatterTheHeavens, yes, the man should be kissing the girl, but Rosa's always kind of had that 'it's my way, or we're going to play it by ear' attitude. At that time I felt it suited them best. Seph will have his moment though! All in good time! And Zack, the adorable Puppy. Yes, he's being himself and a total goofball, but we love him all the same! Cloud's falling for that strange General pretty fast, isn't it? Hopefully things will get straightened out soon so Cloud can put Tseng in his place! Thanks for reviewing and hope you do so again! :)**

**Axelxroxie, yes! Rosa and Sephiroth have come together at last despite their..._odd_ beginning. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope you review again! :)**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, not gonna, getting on with the show now.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**The Forgotten Past**

I stared at the man standing before me and then at Sarah, the connection suddenly clear in my mind. I licked my lips in vain, for my mouth had gone dry suddenly, but with the discipline I'd learned from training with SOLDIER I stood up calmly and extended my hand, "Sir, I don't believe we've met."

Hojo, as Sarah had called him, didn't look surprised to hear I had no recollection of him. He shook my hand and grasped it tightly, "You were very young at the time, I'm not surprised you don't remember. I'm Professor Hojo, I used to work here in the Shin-Ra Building, but…there were irreconcilable differences…"

"I am sorry to hear that," I said as I stared at him, he hadn't let go of my hand.

Hojo was staring at me with an eerie look in his eye, "Yes…You were a fine specimen…"

Cloud stood up beside me, so did Sarah, both of whom looked like they were ready to throw punches. I smiled and tilted my head, "I'm sorry?"

Hojo had a wicked gleam in his eye, but he only said, "Oh, nothing. I've heard many things about your achievements. Apparently you are a very capable SOLDIER? It is something I'd like to see one day."

I tried to release his hand, but he kept a firm grasp on me, "Yes…It is something I would like to see…"

Sarah snapped, "Let go of her!"

"Yes, I think it's best that you do," Cloud said, crossing his arms and looking extremely scary.

Hojo stared at me a moment longer before releasing my hand, I smiled, but this time the fear had made its way into my gaze and I could feel it, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"Yes, indeed it was…" He said before turning away and leaving.

Sarah had her hand on my arm, Cloud glared at the scientist's retreating back, and the others at the table all looked at me. I clenched my fists at my side and I stared after Hojo…

Angeal looked up at me, "What the hell was that about?"

I looked at Sarah, "I have no idea."

Sarah looked guilty, but she murmured softly, "I'm not sorry for keeping it from you…I'm just sorry you had to find out like this…with him actually here…"

I shook my head, "We'll talk about this later."

I looked at the others, "I'm going home. I'm tired."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Cloud asked, still looking at Hojo as he left the room.

I shook my head, touching his arm, "I'm okay. See you when you get in. Have fun, everyone."

Genesis smiled, "Merry Christmas, Kat."

Angeal nodded and Zack cheered, "Merry Christmas!"

Sarah hugged me suddenly, "Merry Christmas, Kat…"

I smiled and hugged my friend back, "Merry Christmas, Sarah."

We pulled back and both started laughing, then I left and headed for the room. I took the elevator up and started walking to my door, until I heard footsteps behind me. I walked slower the closer I got to my door…Whoever was following me was trying to be invisible…and failing.

I turned around, staring straight at Tseng, "What the hell are you doing?"

Tseng stared at me, "I just want you to listen to me for five minutes-"

"So you _stalk_ me?" I asked, unable to believe what he was doing, "Tseng, you've clearly learned nothing in the past three years. Just…go away until you understand."

"I don't understand though," Tseng said, taking a step toward me, I took one back-causing me to be pressed against the door to my room-and he said, "Kat, I love you. I did then and I do now, just-"

"Tseng, you stop right there," I said in a dangerously low tone, "Don't even go on. We aren't any good for each other and you know-!"

He was suddenly right against me, his mouth on mine as I fought against him. I shoved him with all of my strength and he staggered back, staring at me in despair, "What does Strife have that I don't! What could make you possibly care about him, but hate me?"

I grabbed the door handle behind me, glaring at Tseng as I wiped my mouth off with the back of my other hand, "He cares about _me_. He would never make me choose between my family and him!"

I was just shooting off my mouth, knowing Cloud and I weren't _together_, but Tseng didn't need to know that. I pressed myself against the door again when Tseng went to take another step toward me, but suddenly a tall, blond man was standing in front of me, "I think you should leave now, Tseng."

I felt tears sting my eyes, all composure melting slowly...Cloud had come anyway…

Tseng snapped at him, "Always in my way, aren't you, Cloud? The first time I understand, but this has nothing to do with you. It's none of your business."

"It became my business when she became apart of my life," Cloud replied angrily, "You're not even supposed to be in the SOLDIERs quarters. You should really go now before I lose my temper."

Tseng scoffed at Cloud, giving me one last look, and then left. I exhaled, not realizing until then that I had been terrified of what Tseng would have done had Cloud not shown up, and slid down into the floor. Cloud stood in the middle of the hallway, watching until he was sure Tseng was gone, and then turned to me. He squatted down in the floor as I leaned against our door, "Are you okay…?"

I looked down at my hands, clasped together in my lap, and then looked at him with tears in my eyes, "I was scared."

He sighed heavily, "What happened?"

"He…just kind of came at me," I whispered, wiping my eyes to get rid of any tears fixing to fall, "I totally blanked...I thought I wouldn't be able to get him off of me…"

Cloud made a face, "What?"

I looked down again, ashamed, "He kissed me."

"…The bastard forced himself on you?" Cloud said in a dangerously low tone. I heard him move to his feet, but I grabbed his hand before he could follow Tseng.

I shook my head, holding onto his hand with both of mine, "Don't go. He's not worth it…He really isn't…"

Cloud closed his eyes, "I should bash his face in."

"I know…" I whispered, "Just don't…"

Cloud exhaled again and helped me to my feet, "Come on. You need to get to bed and relax or something."

We were right inside our room when I turned and hugged him, tears falling silently. He hugged me back and said, "What's this for?"

"For coming to my rescue…and for being such a great friend tonight," I answered as I rested my head on his shoulder, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't agreed to go with me tonight…You're the best, Cloud."

"We're friends," Cloud answered, letting me hold onto him, "If you ever need anything…don't hesitate to ask."

I nodded and let him go, wiping at my eyes again, "Thank you…"

I went into the bathroom and changed into my pajamas, then I got into bed, "Night, Cloud."

Cloud was sitting on his bed, still in his tux, "Night, Kat. Get some rest."

I nodded and then…I was out.

* * *

Cloud left the room, locking both locks on the door before he left, and headed back to the party upstairs-he'd left his cell phone in his haste to leave. When he arrived back at the table Genesis, Angeal, Sarah, and Zack were all still sitting there. Sarah looked up at Cloud and saw his expression, "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to go back to the room and turning in," Cloud answered briskly, looking around the table for his phone.

Zack frowned, "Dude, what happened?"

"Tseng is what freaking happened," Cloud growled, finding his phone under Sarah's handbag, "The ass followed her into the SOLDIER quarters and forced himself on her. I got there _seconds_ after it happened."

Sarah was enraged, "Where did he go!"

"I don't know," Cloud admitted, "She begged me not to go after him…Kat just looked so helpless…I couldn't go after him. I helped her into the room and put her to sleep. I was coming back for my phone."

Genesis was livid, "I'll kill him! How dare he touch one of my friends like that!"

Angeal snorted, "It's not funny, but, Gen, you only danced with her once. That doesn't give you a claim on her."

"Yes, but she's a very dear friend," Genesis pointed out, "All the girls are. Even Sephiroth."

Sarah and Zack snorted in laughter at that, Angeal only rolled his eyes as he turned to Cloud, "Take care of our General, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me twice," Cloud replied, turning to go when Sarah stopped him.

She touched his arm and just said, "Thank you…for being there for her. She really needed you and you were there. I can't thank you enough for that, Cloud."

Cloud only nodded, "Of course. Have a good night, everyone."

Then he left.

* * *

Sarah and Zack were holding hands as Cloud disappeared into the crowds, then they looked at each other, both thinking, _'I'll kill Tseng for this!'_

Angeal watched them and thought to himself, _'…Those two were destined for each other…'_

Angeal and Genesis both left soon after, leaving Sarah and Zack alone. Sarah leaned against Zack's arm, grasping his hand tightly in hers, "…Merry Christmas, Zack…"

He smiled leaning down so his forehead rested against hers, "Merry Christmas, Sarah…"

Zack went to kiss her, but she snickered and moved away. Sarah got to her feet and walked a few feet from the table as he whined, "That was really mean."

She laughed, "I'm not that easy to catch!"

Zack got up and ran after her. They ran all the way into the elevators before he caught up with Sarah. She had her back to him, but he grabbed her arm and turned her so she faced him. She beamed up at him, "You know, Kat was telling me this entire week that I should make a move on you."

Zack looked astonished, "She was telling me the same thing!"

"Sometimes I swear she's psychic," Sarah laughed as she let Zack kiss her breathless…

Then the elevator door opened on the twenty first floor and they jumped apart…only for Sarah to screech, "YOU!"

Zack was struggling to keep Sarah away from the man standing outside the elevator-Tseng.

Zack had his arms wrapped around Sarah's waist as he hissed, "You should really get a different elevator."

"…I can't…The others are down…" Tseng replied stiffly, then he made a face, "What? Did she already run crying to you? Was Cloud not enough?"

Then Zack simply…let Sarah go. Sarah pounced on Tseng, punching him in the face repeatedly as he fell to the floor, "YOU BASTARD! Do you KNOW how many times she CRIED over your sorry ass! Do you KNOW what it probably does to her even NOW! She just got OVER YOU!"

Zack grabbed her by the shoulders after a few moments, "Sarah…You've broken his nose and gotten blood on yourself! Let him go for now."

Sarah snarled at Tseng, "If you bother her again, I _will_ kill you. That is a promise."

Tseng didn't respond, he had his eyes closed and his breathing was shallow. Sarah wiped her hands on his jacket and stood up, a fierce look in her eye, "You ruined the only chance she had to relax and be normal for once. I hated you before…but you will never understand how much I hate you now, Tseng. Come near her again and you won't live long enough to regret it. You know I _always_ follow through with what I say."

Zack pulled her away and they got back into the elevator in silence…Zack looked at her, Sarah looked at him…and then he said, "You are the coolest girl I have ever met."

"I just beat the leader of the Turks to a bloody pulp and you think I'm _cool_?" Sarah asked, slightly stunned.

Zack kissed her once, "Hell, yeah!"

Sarah only grinned.

* * *

_"Why can't I go with Sarah and Rosa?" I asked the day after we'd snuck into the Shin-Ra Mansion, looking at my Mother, "They get to go out into Town and I don't…"_

_"Because," my Mother said, her back was turned to me and all I could see was her long, bronze hair, "…Kat…You're a very special little girl. We don't want anything to happen to you ever again, okay?"_

_Then the door opened, a woman walked in, "Elaine, the Shin-Ra army is coming close to the town. You've got to get your family and friends out of here!"_

_I couldn't hear what my Mother called her, "-thank you so much. I don't know what we would have done without you…"_

_"It's fine. Cloud knows a secret way out," the woman was saying, "so if you head to the back of town then he can show you out."_

_Mom nodded, clasping the blond woman's hands, "Thank you again. I hope we'll meet again."_

_It was only moments later that Sarah, Rosa, and I were all running to the town's exit, each holding the others' hands when we ran into a little boy. He had a shock of spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes, he smiled sadly._

_"I'm Cloud-"_

* * *

"Kat, wake up," Cloud said softly in my ear as he shook me awake. I squinted at him as he said, "Sarah and Rosa are here. They're worried about you."

I rolled over so I turned away from him, "Mm…Send them in…"

He chuckled softly and walked off. I stared at my wall and then sighed. I curled up on myself slightly, exhaling once more as I tried to calm myself. The dreams were real, they were my memories that I'd lost all those years ago…things that my mind hadn't needed then…

So why did I need them now?

Rosa bent over me, putting her face in mine, "Morning, Kat!"

I scowled, pulling my cover over my face, "You are way too happy this early in the morning…"

"Kat! It's three in the afternoon!" Rosa exclaimed, pulling the cover off my head.

I rolled over and looked at the girls, then at Cloud who was sitting on his bed, and asked, "Is it really?"

Rosa jumped onto the corner of my bed and nodded, "Yep!"

I looked at her and then at Sarah, both had goofy grins on their faces, "What the hell happened last night to make you all smiley?"

Rosa looked at me and said, "Duh, we got some!"

Sarah nodded, not listening, and then looked at Rosa oddly, "Okay…Wait. What are _you_ talking about? What did you do and with who?"

Rosa looked at Sarah and then me and then said, "Oh, that was just me?"

"Oh, Goddess…" I swore under my breath, "With who?"

Rosa had a small, secret smile on her face as she tried to deny it and failed miserably, "Um…Nothing! Ahahaha…Who said I did anything with Sephiroth?"

"Oh, my Goddess," I gasped, my hand over my mouth, "You didn't!"

Cloud stood up and waved to me, "I'm out of here. I'll be back later."

Sarah and I stared at Rosa, "Good job. You ran Cloud out of his own room."

Rosa shrugged, "I didn't mean to!"

"I can't believe you ditched Gen to go…off with Sephiroth," Sarah said.

I sat up, scratching the back of my head, "I may or may not have encouraged Sephiroth to try and get Rosa's attention last night…"

"Yeah, well, he got my attention loud and clear," Rosa said with an eerily cheerful expression.

Sarah clapped her hands over her ears, "I don't want to hear any more!"

"Me either!" I said loudly, clasping a hand over Rosa's mouth, "Remember, inside thoughts."

Rosa nodded and I removed my hand, she grinned, "Gotcha. Inside thoughts."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "I can't believe that works."

I looked at the two of them, "Okay, we're alone for a little while. I need you to tell me about this kidnapping thing. What the hell happened?"

Rosa looked surprised, "What…?"

"Rosa, she knows," Sarah said shortly, a dark expression crossed Rosa's face, and Sarah went on, "They took you because you were showing signs of a pure JENOVA Gene, _without_ Mako injections or JENOVA injections. There was a search for children with your symptoms in the Mideel area…Banora wasn't too far from there. There were two or three other kids that were taken as well…but your parents weren't going to let you go like that…"

"When Hojo showed up," Rosa said, a serious look on her face for once, "we all knew it was over. All of our parents fought, but they still took you. Then it was a quest to track down Hojo and his crazy band…then we found out Hojo had a facility hidden in the Shin-Ra building…So, all of our parents went after you. They'd all grown up together, you know, so they couldn't abandon your parents and you. We were taken along because they didn't trust anyone else…"

Rosa exhaled, "We snuck into this very building when the President's dad was running the place and got into the laboratories. It…It's something I wish I hadn't seen. There were experiments everywhere. Kids, animals, some dead, others barely hanging on…You were in the area of 'failed test subjects'. They had you hooked up to an IV looking thing, but it was Mako. You looked like you were dead, Kat."

Sarah nodded, "We weren't supposed to be there that day, but Rosa and I couldn't help it. We went in through the air vents, we got there before the parents did. When we unhooked you from the Mako at first…you started having like a seizure or something. We didn't know what we were doing. Our parents got there…they got you under control and then we were on the run. After that the President's dad was killed and he took over, fired Hojo and shut down the whole production. Hojo was supposed to go on trial for suspected kidnapping and torture…but he disappeared."

Rosa sighed, "But now he's back."

I looked at my hands, "…Natural JENOVA Cells…? Is that…even possible…?"

Sarah shrugged, "We don't know. It seems like it though."

Rosa smiled sadly, "We always said you were special."

I flopped back on my pillow, "…Yeah, I just didn't think it was because I was a monster."

"You're not a monster!" Rosa exclaimed loudly, "That's just…Even saying that is just stupid! If you were a monster then you wouldn't give a damn about anything!"

Sarah just stared at me, "Kat…That's not true. You aren't a monster. You were just born that way."

I exhaled heavily, an arm over my eyes, "So, why didn't we go back to Banora?"

"Our parents figured that's where they'd look first, so we went the other way. Got on boats, used planes, that's how we met Uncle Cid, you know," Rosa said with a small smile, "Then one day we were outside Wutai and we stayed for years."

I nodded, then I removed my arm, "Nibelheim…"

"Yes, you mentioned that yesterday," Sarah said curiously, "What exactly did you remember…?"

"Do you remember…me daring all of us to go into the Shin-Ra Mansion?" I asked slowly.

Rosa's eyes were huge, "I remember that! Sarah didn't want to go in and a little girl told us it was haunted!"

"But we went in anyway," Sarah concluded, "Why?"

I sat up, looking at them, "Do you remember what the girl said her name was?"

Sarah and Rosa both frowned, looking at each other.

Rosa tilted her head, "Lisa?"

Sarah shrugged, "Tessa?"

I shook my head, "No, she said her name was 'Tifa'."

Sarah blinked, Rosa's mouth fell open, and both girls said, "No way."

I nodded, "Yeah. And do you remember who helped us get out of town?"

Sarah deadpanned, "…Cloud."

I nodded, "Cloud."

Rosa shook her head, "This can't be a coincidence, right?"

Sarah and I looked at each other a long time and then she said, "We can always hint around and see if _they_ remember."

"Yeah, well, when you think that plan completely through and you've got something good then you let me know," I said, stretching as I got out of bed, heading to the bathroom to change into my jeans and a clean shirt. When I came back I said, "We've got the day off, right? Tomorrow Lazard sends us all out on our different missions, let's just go out and have a fun day."

Rosa cheered excitedly, jumping and hugging me, "Yes! I'm so excited!"

I smiled brightly, beckoning the girls to go out the door, "We haven't gotten to do anything together for a long time."

We got into the elevator and laughed, talking about random things. We stepped out of the elevator and made it half way across the lobby when I saw Adrian and Yuffie walking across the lobby, hand in hand. Adrian waved animatedly at us and came over, "Hello, ladies!"

Sarah smirked, "Same old Adrian, aren't you?"

Yuffie made a face at us, but Rosa just laughed, "So, what's up? You look a bit stressed out."

Adrian sighed, "Yeah, Reno called. It's supposed to be my day off, but Tseng is in the infirmary. Apparently he hurt himself pretty bad last night, but no one's saying how."

Sarah suddenly looked _way_ too surprised, "Oh? Really?"

Adrian shrugged, "It sucks, but I'm going in to cover a few things the President wants covered today. I'm actually late right now, but I'll catch you girls later?"

"Totally," all three of us chorused, waving goodbye to our friend.

We all stared after the couple as they disappeared into the elevator and then there was a beat of silence…

"…You…broke his nose!" I yelled, causing many people to turn and look at me in the lobby.

Sarah crossed her arms, looking defiant, "Hey, well, he didn't ask for it, but I sure as hell gave it to him. I'm not sorry and that was the only 'Christmas Gift' I gave today. I think I did pretty well."

I ran a hand over his face and then sighed, shaking my head before smirking suddenly. Sarah gave me a weird looked, cocking her head to the side, "What? What is that look for? Kat?"

I grabbed her hands and let the grin overtake my face, "You gave me the best Christmas gift ever!"

Rosa looked at Sarah's stunned expression and my joyful one, a look of pure confusion, "…Wait…First you're mad because she broke his nose…and now you're happy…? Are you bipolar or something, Kat?"

I grinned at Sarah and then Rosa, "Tseng forced himself on me last night. I consider this sweet revenge and I have you to thank for it, Sarah. If I die today I can now rest in peace because he suffered a little bit."

Sarah snorted, "Nice, Kat. Really nice…but you're welcome."

I let go of her hands and we started walking toward the door, but I turned to Sarah one last time, "Please tell me you enjoyed it, I mean, at least a little bit."

Sarah threw her head back and laughed, "Kat, it was the highlight of my life!"

We all burst into laughter and walked into the streets…

* * *

Sarah exhaled heavily, she was talking on the phone with someone. Rosa and I were talking politely to the people asking us questions about being in SOLDIER. The most annoying questions out of the bunch were-

"Are you a Genesis, Sephiroth, or an Angeal fan?"

"Do you know Zack Fair? Is he as hot in person as he is in his photos?"

"How did you get to be in SOLDIER? Can you really fight like the men?"

And of course, the lovely question by many of the men, "Can I have your number?"

I smiled for another picture with some person's kids while Rosa called over her shoulder at Sarah, "Are you almost done!"

"Hold on!" Sarah shouted back before replying into the phone, "Now what…?"

I turned as a hand touched my arm, "Miss Davis?"

I smiled pleasantly, "Yes?"

"Guys! We've got to go!" Sarah shouted, smiling as someone took another photo.

We waved as we left and then started running toward HQ, Sarah looked at me, "Next time you say, 'Let's go out and have fun', remind me to bring a freaking disguise!"

"I didn't know people were going to react to us like freaking celebrities!" I shouted back, ducking through the door as we ran to the elevator. We got in and stopped, all breathing hard, and then I looked up, "Wait…What the hell are we here for? Who was that on the phone?"

Sarah snickered, "Nobody."

"WHAT!" Rosa and I yelled, looking up.

Sarah laughed, leaning against the wall, "Dude, I wanted _out_ of there! I preset my phone to go off at a random time and then acted like it was the Director on in front of those people."

I shook my head, "Sarah, you are one crazy smart chick."

She shrugged, "I try."

We laughed, all walking back to Rosa and Sephiroth's room for once. Sarah and I walked in and looked around, she gave me a look, "It's weirdly clean in here…"

"Yeah," I said looking at the two separate beds, "Like…no one lives here."

Sarah and I looked at each other, then at Rosa, both saying, "What did you do in here last night?"

Rosa smiled as she sat on her bed, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"No," I said.

Sarah agreed, "Not really."

Rosa laughed and we shut the door behind us. Sarah and I just stood there, not sure what to do, but Rosa gestured at Sephiroth's bed, "Sit down!"

Sarah scratched the back of her head, "Erm…"

I shrugged, "I'd feel wrong if I sat there…"

Sarah nodded, "Exactly."

Rosa rolled her eyes, "Fine. I'll sit there, you guys sit here."

Sarah and I both exhaled and sat on Rosa's bed as Rosa sat on Sephiroth's bed. There was a second of silence…and then we all burst out laughing. Once we all stopped laughing there was just quietness…Sarah sat cross legged next to me, swaying side to side, her elbow hitting mine, and then she sighed, "I feel like we're saying goodbye…"

"Well," I said, clasping my hands on my lap as my legs dangled off the bed, "in a way we kind of are. We'll all be back here in, what? A week? Maybe two?"

"I heard there's one team going really far away," Rosa murmured, looking at me, "Like farther than Wutai."

"What's farther than Wutai?" Sarah and I both said at once.

Rosa only shrugged, "That's just what I heard."

Then Rosa leaned forward, "Let's make a promise, okay? No matter what happens…we stick together. The three of us! Always!"

She stuck her hand out at us, urging us, "Come on! Promise!"

Sarah smirked, sticking her hand out and touching Rosa's, "Yeah. Okay, I promise."

They both looked at me, I sighed heavily and put my hand on theirs, "Always."

We all grinned and then Sephiroth came into the room, looked at all of us, and then sighed, "This is why Cloud left his room, isn't it?"

We all laughed again…

* * *

The next morning I was standing in Lazard's office with Angeal and Sephiroth on either side of me. Lazard exhaled heavily, "I'm sorry to do this to you, but we've discovered a piece of the Huge Materia…in a currently inaccessible place."

"Then how are we to retrieve it?" Sephiroth asked, arms crossed, looking unhappier than usual.

Lazard exhaled heavily, "Well…In an hour the three of you will be on a helicopter to Rocket Town…There is a pilot there named-"

"Uncle Cid?" I blurted out, feeling confused, "But he flies…Oh, my Goddess…"

Angeal frowned, "What? What's going on?"

Lazard laced his fingers together and rested his chin on his intertwined hands, "Cid is a pilot of helicopters, airships, and small airplanes…but he is a specialist…in flying rockets into space."

"…space?" Sephiroth asked, deadpanned.

Angeal blanked, "We're…not going to be on Gaia?"

"You'll be completely safe, but I need SOLDIER operatives to go and make sure the Materia makes it back all right," Lazard replied, "…You'll also be taking one of the Turks, but because Kathleen's group seemed to do so well together-"

"Oh, Goddess, no…" I whispered to myself.

"-Tseng will be going with you," Lazard said, looking distressed as he finished. He looked at me, "Sarah has already talked to me about the…problem between the two of you, but we have no choice in this matter. The President seems to think you and Tseng do well together, plus he wanted the best of the best in space. My two Generals and the next to become a General, along with the Director of the Turks? It wasn't an argument…"

Angeal looked at me and then Lazard, "There's no way we can change the Turk accompanying us?"

"No," Lazard said softly, "I'm afraid not…"

I scowled, "Tseng harasses me, Sarah beats him up, I revel in the glory, and then I get teamed up with him…Goddess, karma is one hell of a bitch."

* * *

Earlier in the day, before Kat's team had been called in, Rosa and Genesis walked into Lazard's office. Rosa smiled at Genesis, who bowed deeply, "Good morning, Rosa. How are you this morning?"

"I'm okay…How about you?" Rosa asked, feeling awkward.

Genesis smiled, "I'm all right. I had a rather nice pep talk with Kat the other night. It cheered me up quite a bit."

Rosa exhaled, "I'm sorry, Gen…"

"It's okay," Genesis smiled, running a hand through his hair, "Sephiroth has that way about him. Bewitching people and all."

Rosa rolled her eyes with a smile as they stopped in front of Lazard. The Director looked at them, "Genesis, Rosa…I need you to fly out to Fort Condor tonight. The people there usually guard the condor sitting at the top of the Reactor are there, but the bird is gone this time of year. You should be back tomorrow afternoon. You'll be accompanied by Reno and Rude of the Turks."

Rosa got a wicked grin on her face, _'Reno and Rude, huh…?'_

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Sarah and Zack were holding hands, both looking weirdly cheerful, as they stood with Cloud in the elevator. They had all been called to Lazard's office that afternoon after everyone else had left. The three walked into their Director's office and the young man sighed in relief, "You're my easy group. I need you three to inspect the Reactor in Nibelheim to see if the last Huge Materia is there. You'll be accompanied by Vincent and Cissnei of the Turks."

Sarah nodded, "Cool."

"Nibelheim…?" Cloud asked, nearly unable to believe it, "With these two lovesick kids? Oh, Goddess…"

Lazard only smiled, "Sorry, Cloud."

Zack beamed, "Let's do this!"

Sarah sighed happily, "Yeah!"

* * *

I had my backpack over my shoulder, staring at the helicopter that would become my prison for the next two or three days. Angeal had a hand on my shoulder, "All you have to do is quit."

I smiled, shaking my head at him, "No, I'll face it. I can't run forever, right?"

"I don't know," Ang said, a snarky grin on his face, "I think _you_ could."

I only rolled my eyes as Sephiroth came to stand on my other side, "The nightmare is about to begin. Are you ready?"

I closed my eyes, _was_ I ready? I nodded to myself, opening my eyes with a smirk, "Yeah. I'm ready."

"Can we just get on the helicopter now?" Tseng's voice came from behind us. We all turned and a hand flew over my mouth when I saw his purple and black blotched face with a huge white bandage over his nose.

Angeal blinked, mocking of course, but hiding it oh-so-well, "Goddess, Tseng, what happened to you?"

Tseng looked at me, surprisingly without anger, and then looked back at Angeal, "It was…a violent altercation."

I snickered and looked at Sephiroth, "We've heard that term before haven't we?"

Sephiroth looked _way_ too innocent, "I have no idea what you mean."

Angeal laughed as well before motioning to the helicopter, "Ladies first, Kat."

I rolled my eyes and got in, "Whatever."

It was going to be one long, agonizing trip.

_'I feel like a monkey going into space…Oh, wait. I _am _going into space...Goddess, I'm an idiot.'_

* * *

**On a time crunch here, so all I'm going to say is please review? Every time that review number goes up it inspires me to post another chapter. The more reviews, the faster you get the story basically. :) And they'll be coming even faster now that I've finished Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and once Spring Break is over!**

**Thanks for reading and review!**

**Please?**

**~Sarah~**


	9. Heading Home

**So, sooner than I expected it to be out, Chapter Nine has arrived with the expectations for reviews. I've been at Rosa's house hanging out with her and Sarah, so she's been bugging me the last couple of days to post a new chapter. I've finally caved and am doing so now. I hope you're happy, Rosa. :) So, onto reviews?**

**ShatterTheHeavens, yes, Sarah gave Tseng what he deserves, but I don't think he's gone just yet. Even I don't want to know the details of what went on with Sephiroth and Rosa! Lol. As for Kat going off into space…well, we'll be addressing that this chapter and the troubles that come with it in the next chapter! Thanks for the review and cookies!**

**Myloveispurity8, well, better late than never, right? Just promise to update regularly and I'm sure it can be overlooked. Lol. :) Thanks for the review and the praise!**

**Axelxroxie, oh, yes. Tseng is quite the psycho, isn't he? Hopefully he'll be put in his place soon enough. Thanks for the review!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Need it be said again?**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**Heading Home**

"So…You were born in Nibelheim?" Sarah asked, looking at Cloud, trying to judge his reaction.

The blond nodded as he looked down at the town from the helicopter, "Yes…I don't have many fond memories of it though."

"Oh…" Sarah said, twisting her fingers together, "I'm sorry…"

Cloud shrugged, not saying much else. Zack frowned, _'What the hell is wrong with you, man? You're not very lively, but you're usually better than this.'_

Zack got an idea, "I heard Kat's team got stuck with Tseng again."

Sarah and Cloud both gaped at him, "WHAT?"

Zack smirked, _'Bingo.'_

Sarah was outraged, "No! He couldn't have done that! She…he…but they…!"

Cloud snarled angrily, "That is absurd!"

"You know, Cloud," Zack said with a secret smile, "If I didn't know any better…I'd say you had feelings for Kat."

Sarah looked dumbfounded, staring at Zack like she couldn't believe how he'd just changed the subject from something so horrifying to trivial things like that. Cloud stared openly as well, "What the hell does that have to do with Tseng?"

"Well…The other night you looked pretty angry," Zack said, tilting his head slightly, "You know, like you're more protective of her. I've known you for years and I've never seen you react like that."

Cloud only stared out the window, Zack prodded, "Cloud…?"

Sarah nudged Zack, whispering, "Stop it…"

But Cloud surprised them both, "Yeah. I like her, a lot more than I probably should…but anyone would have reacted the way I did that night. Kat's strong, we all know that, but she was about to fall to pieces when I got there. You can't tell me that either of you wouldn't have done the same thing."

Zack and Sarah didn't answer; Cloud only nodded, "See? It's just something about her…You want to jump to her defense, even if she's wrong."

Sarah shrugged, "Most of the time, I guess. Unless she's _really _wrong, of course..."

The helicopter landed and their two day journey ended. They all clambered out and headed to the hotel, all except Cloud.

Zack and Sarah stopped at the hotel's doors, the raven haired man said, "Where are you going, Cloud?"

"I'm going to go see my Mom," Cloud replied, "I haven't seen her since I went off to Midgar."

Sarah nodded, "Be careful, okay?"

Cloud waved and went on. They watched as he knocked on a door across from the hotel, the door opened and a blond woman answered. Sarah and Zack went inside, feeling their friend was safe.

Cloud looked at his mother, smiled softly, "Hey, Mom."

The older woman stared at her son, exhaling heavily in stunned relief, "Cloud? It's been years…Come in!"

Cloud shut the door behind him as his mother swept her long blond hair into a ponytail, her blue eyes shining bright as she smoothed out her blue sundress while getting him one of his favorite sodas, "Cloud, I can't believe you're actually here."

Cloud smiled, "Yeah. I would've come sooner…but it's been so busy…"

Cloud's mother and he both sat at the small kitchen table with its three chairs. His mother smiled, "How have things been? The girls chasing you around?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Mom…Things have been great. The company takes care of me, I've got great friends, and I met…I met these girls. They're great. Sarah, Rosa, and… and Kat."

His mother's eyebrows arched, "Oh? Where did you meet these girls?"

"They work for the company. Transferred in from Wutai almost two months ago…Kat's the General of their team. They grew up together," Cloud replied, taking a sip of his drink.

She smiled softly, "You seem to be fond of this 'Kat'."

Cloud smiled back, "Yeah…I am. The three of them…they've been through a lot, but there's just…something about her. Kat, I mean."

Cloud's mother gasped, "Cloud! Are you…in love with this girl? You've only just met!"

"That's just it, Mom," Cloud said, a serious look on his face, "I think I've met her before…and so have you."

* * *

Genesis stared up the rope, "We…have to climb this thing?"

Rosa nodded, gesturing up at the rope, "The people here do this old school! Climb up there, Gen-Gen!"

Genesis scowled, "You go first."

"Um, I'm wearing a skirt," Rosa said, wagging a finger at him.

Genesis had an evil smirk on his face, "Oh, I know. Believe me, I know."

Genesis began climbing up the rope as Rosa scoffed, _'What nerve…'_

Once the two had climbed several ladders and talked to some of the people living there they were allowed to inspect the Reactor. It was Rosa who found the Huge Materia though. She'd been looking over the edge of the huge, empty Condor's nest when she saw it sitting right in the middle.

Despite how disgusting it was, she climbed into the nest and pulled it out. Handing it over to Reno and Rude, before turning to Genesis, she said, "Well, we can't go help Kat, so let's call Lazard and see if it's okay if we go help out with the Nibelheim inspection."

"Okay," Genesis agreed as they all got into the helicopter, heading back to Midgar.

They didn't realize the hell they were fixing to walk right into.

* * *

The guide had walked the five of them to the Reactor. Vincent and Cissnei went and checked the inside while the three SOLDIERs checked the outside of the building. It had been two or three days since they'd arrived, Cloud was still thinking about what his mother had said…

_"You always did seem to like that girl, but you never talked to her. You always watched. But are you sure this is the same girl? If it is…then things could get dangerous for you…Shin-Ra isn't hunting her anymore? Oh. Well, that changes things! I bet she's a beautiful young woman now. All three of those girls must be gorgeous! Oh? One of them is here? This is so exciting! You've got to bring her by the house! Oh, Cloud, I hope things work out for you and Kathleen…She seems to make you so happy…You're here on work? Do you need a guide to the Reactor? I know just the man…"_

Cloud shook his head, running his hands over his face, "Goddess, she talks so _much!"_

Sarah and Zack walked a bit ahead of Cloud, looking at the sides of the Reactor. Sarah bent over slightly, looking at the base of the machine, "Are you sure this is safe? I think the ground looks rather… unstable…"

Zack shook his head as he neared her, "They wouldn't build a Reactor in an unstable-!"

The ground fell out beneath their feet, both yelled out in surprise, hearing Cloud yell, "Zack! Sarah!"

Zack grabbed onto Sarah as they fell, hitting the sides of the tunnel, and then they hit the ground hard. Zack sat up, winded, and realized that he'd accidentally let go of Sarah upon impact. He looked around, they were in a large, underground cave, and the only way out was about two hundred yards above them.

"Cloud!" Zack roared up at the blond, bits of ground and dirt still falling on top of him and Sarah.

Cloud yelled back, "I can't reach you! I'll go get Vincent and Cissnei! Just hold on!"

Sarah winced, holding onto her side, "What…the hell…?"

Zack rubbed dirt from his eyes, "Are…you okay?"

Sarah had sat up on her own, but she had her teeth clenched, "Y-Yeah…I'm fine…What about you…?"

Zack stood up slowly, leaning against the dirt wall to his left, "I'm okay. A little banged up, but no worse for wear, I guess."

Sarah only sat in the floor, looking up at him, her hand still clasped to her side, "How long…do you think it'll be until…help comes…?"

"Not long, I think," Zack said, looking up at the hole again, "An hour or two, at minimum?"

She exhaled, teeth still clenched, "Damn it…You…wouldn't happen to have a potion or anything on you…would you?"

"No," Zack answered, looking at her, "This was only supposed to be an exploration. I didn't bring anything. Why?"

She shook her head, but this time Zack noticed she was shaking violently, "Sarah!"

He fell to his knees, grabbing her by the shoulders as her eyes fluttered closed, "Sarah! Look at me! What's wrong?"

He saw her hands, grasping her side almost desperately, and then he saw it. The red oozing out between her thin fingers, "Damn it…Sarah, look at me!"

Sarah's dark eyes opened slightly, "Zack…?"

"Sarah, stay with me. Focus, okay?" Zack was murmuring to her, prying her hands away from the wound. He winced at the huge gash, it had torn cleanly through her clothes around her left hip. Zack looked at her, "Sarah, when did this happen?"

She shook her head slowly, "I…hit something on the way down…metal. Rusted metal, I think… It…hurts…so bad…"

Zack was panicking, he had nothing to heal her with and help wouldn't arrive for hours. He had no phone on him-a phone? He looked at her as he ripped the bottom of his own shirt, attempting to make a bandage to stop the bleeding for now, "Sarah, do you have your phone on you?"

She nodded, "Only…have Kat and Rosa's…"

Sarah didn't finish her sentence, she passed out. Zack cursed, checking all of her pockets. He tried to think of who was closer once he found her phone and called Rosa.

"Hello! Rosa speaking, my dear!" The cheery voice said loudly.

Zack suddenly exhaled, "Rosa! Oh, Goddess…How far are you from Nibelheim?"

"Zack? What? Why?" Rosa asked, sounding confused.

"Sarah and I…We're stuck…Fell into a tunnel or something, we've got no help and Sarah's hurt. It's bad, Rosa," Zack said at once, "If you can get here or call Cloud, something! Anything!"

"Okay, we'll be there as fast as we can! We're not too far away, we were headed your way anyway," Rosa replied quickly, "Just put pressure on the wound. It should slow the bleeding. Zack, if you let her die…so help me…"

"I know, I know," Zack whispered, pressing down on the cloth a bit harder, "Believe me…I know…"

"We'll see you soon, Zack. I'm calling Cloud and updating him," Rosa replied in haste as she hung up.

Zack dropped the phone and pressed both hands to Sarah's wound, his eyes stung with tears as he bent over her. He dropped his head, letting his forehead rest on her limp hands, "Goddess…Don't take her away from me…I've just found her…Don't take her away from me…"

* * *

I hugged the man I knew as my Uncle Cid excitedly once we'd made it to Rocket Town, I couldn't stop grinning, "Uncle Cid! How are you?"

The man hugged me back and moved the stick he was chewing on to the other side of his mouth, "I'm great. How're you, kid? You drink your tea?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh, and said, "I'm fine, Uncle Cid. Yes, I did drink my tea. Aunt Shera gave it to me."

Cid nodded, hands on his hips, "Who're these goons? Where are the girls?"

Angeal snickered, Sephiroth glared, and I bit my lip, "This is Sephiroth and Angeal, my other friends. We're on different missions right now, Uncle Cid. I'm meeting up with the girls after we go into space and get the Materia."

"Oh, yeah! The Materia," Cid said, nodding, "Well, let's get you on that rocket and we'll get you up there to retrieve it. Only two seats up there, so you'll have to decide between the-Tseng! Hell, boy! Where've you been?"

Tseng had just entered the house, grumbling as he did so, but a grin overcame his face as Cid hugged him as well, "Cid, it's nice to see you!"

Cid patted his back, "Damn, boy! What happened to your face?"

"…Sarah happened…" Tseng mumbled causing me to cover my mouth with my hand, trying not to laugh.

Cid had his hands on his hips again, "Well, hell! Tseng and Kat! You two are totally going up in the rocket!"

"Uncle Cid-!" I started.

"Cid, that's not a good-!" Tseng tried as well.

But, Uncle Cid had tossed his head back and laughed as he walked out the door, completely ignoring us. Tseng only looked at me, I shrugged, both of us saying, "That's Cid for you."

Angeal only laughed.

* * *

Zack had pulled Sarah into his embrace, resting her body against his as she slept soundly. Her back rested against his chest as he kept his arms around her. He kept tearing off new parts of his shirt to keep the wound bandaged. Zack Fair had never been more terrified in his life.

It had been an hour and Sarah's breathing was becoming shallower. He had his face pressed to her hair, murmuring softly, "Sarah…please…just hold on a little longer…I haven't even gotten the chance to tell you…how I really feel…"

She stirred slightly, "Mm…Z-Zack…?"

He exhaled softly, "Sarah…You should rest…"

Sarah turned her head to the side, relaxing her body again, "Zack…You're okay?"

He let out a choked sound, somewhere between a sob and a laugh, "You idiotic woman…You're hurt and you're still more worried about me?"

Sarah only smiled, her eyes closed, "Yeah…Kat always said…that was my biggest…flaw…"

Zack kissed her hair, holding her tighter, "Help is coming, Sarah."

"I know…" She murmured, wincing slightly, "I'm safe for now…You're here…"

She drifted back to sleep, he only murmured in acknowledgement, "I hope you're right…I hope I'm enough…"

* * *

I was one unhappy camper, sitting with my arms crossed next to Tseng in the space rocket. Cid's voice came over the intercom, "You're taking off in sixty seconds."

Tseng said, "Roger," the same moment I said, "Whatever."

The rocket started shaking and then we were taking off. It was less than five minutes and we were in space, Cid came over the intercom, "Kat, you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," I murmured.

"Okay, it's going to take about five days to direct your rocket to the Materia, about five days to get back. I'll have your goons call your boss and tell him you'll be longer than he thought," Cid said, "Just sit tight, kids. Cid over and out!"

_'Ten…days…with Tseng!'_

* * *

It was nearly thirty minutes later when there was a slightly strangled yell and a huge _thump_ a few feet away. Zack looked up, his heart hammering and then he saw her.

Rosa stood up from her kneeling position and smirked, "Do you know how difficult it was to get here in under an hour?"

Zack was speechless, only watching as Rosa came over, getting on her knees and started using Materia and potions on Sarah's wound. Zack watched as the tan girl worked vigorously, Rosa suddenly started shaking her head, "It's punctured something. I can't fix it all here. They're lowering a rig down right now…I need you to carry her over. Try not to move her. She won't bleed any more on the outside, but it's the inside I'm worried about…"

Zack nodded and looked up just as the metal platform lowered down. The three got onto the platform and were carried back up.

Rosa sighed, looking at her friend's pale face, "Damn…Kat is going to be so pissed…"

Zack looked surprised, "What?"

Rosa looked at Zack, "Kat's in space right now. When she finds out what Lazard and the President did…"

Zack frowned, "What did they do?"

The tan girl scratched the back of her head, "Lazard had Kat's team lined up for Nibelheim and yours for space. He switched it last minute because the President asked him to. Kat's going to be _pissed_."

Zack's face deadpanned, "Oh, Goddess…"

Rosa sighed, "Yeah, but for now let's concentrate on this one. She's not out of the woods yet."

"You're right," Zack murmured, holding Sarah closer in his arms, "Has she always been this reckless?"

Rosa snorted, "You've got no freaking idea."

Zack smiled fondly at the girl he held, Rosa only watched him, "You love her, don't you?"

The raven haired man blushed slightly, "Is it too soon to say that?"

Rosa only grinned, "Not if it's how you feel. Sometimes…people just know."

Zack kissed Sarah's forehead, "…Yeah…I love her."

Then they were all taken to safety.

* * *

Day two…

I sighed, turning the volume off on the communicator and turning to Tseng, "I'm sorry Sarah attacked you."

Tseng looked surprised, "You're talking to me now?"

I shrugged, "We're going to be up here a minimum of ten days, we've been up here two. That means there's at least eight more days…We should at least be civil."

Tseng nodded, running a hand through his hair, "Yeah…I guess you're right."

I smiled, exhaling heavily, "So…How come you didn't use Materia to fix your nose?"

Tseng shook his head, "Honestly? I was pretty pissed at myself for what I did to you that night…when Sarah came at me…I didn't even fight back. I just let her hit me and then after Sarah and Zack left I just laid there. I didn't want help, I really just wanted to…"

"Don't say that," I cut him off, "Please don't say that. What you did was bad, yes, but you could have just come and told me you were sorry the next morning."

"Would…you have really seen me that morning…?" Tseng asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"Well," I said, smiling back, "I would have to say no, considering I was woken up by Cloud telling me Rosa and Sarah were there to see me. Cloud would've turned you away."

Tseng's face soured, "Cloud…"

I laughed, "Are you _jealous_?"

He scowled, "I already told you I still cared about you."

I only shook my head, "Tseng…"

"I know," he said quietly, "It's over…It has been and I've known that. I just hoped, I guess. My…biggest mistake was making you choose between the girls and I. I knew they were the only family you had left and I still said it…and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever put you into that position."

I gasped softly, Tseng looked at me, "What?"

I shook my head, smiling, "That's all I wanted to hear."

"That I was sorry?" Tseng asked, a look of disbelief on his face, "Well, hell, Kat. I could've told you that right after I said it! It was the dumbest thing I ever said!"

I laughed, "Tseng!"

He grinned, "It's true!"

We both just snickered, laughing, and then after awhile we died down. He looked at me, "Kat…Why did you change your name?"

I frowned, "Huh? Oh, yeah…After…we went up the ranks to 1st Class, they told me and Sarah that it'd be more confusing with two 'Sarah's. It was just easier to refer to my middle name and then people just shortened it. So, I went from being 'Sarah Davis' to being 'General Kat'. I've been Kat ever since."

Tseng nodded, "I think I remember you telling me that."

"There's a lot you don't remember, isn't there?" I smiled, laughing quietly.

He shrugged, "It's a stressful job."

"Excuses, excuses," I waved him off, causing him to grin.

Then he held a hand out to me, I gave him a look and he said, "Let's start over. Just like the beginning, you and me, just friends. Kat and Tseng."

I looked at him a long time and then took his hand, "Agreed."

Maybe things…weren't so bad.

* * *

**Oh dear, looks like Kat is fixing to be an idiot once again. Sarah is safe in Rosa and Zack's hands, so it looks like that crisis has been averted, but in order to find out what happens next, I'm afraid you'll have to review. :)**

**So, that's the deal. Review and I'll give you a new chapter. Maybe even tomorrow depending on the amount. ;)**

**Review!**

**~Sarah~**


	10. Disturbing the Peace

**So this past week this wonderful thing called 'life' happened and I didn't get to update as quickly as I wanted to. I had every intention of posting this chapter, but I ended up being really distracted and hanging out with Rosa and Sarah, and also playing Uncharted 2. Since I've been back in town school has consumed my life. But now, after getting off my butt, I'm finally posting Chapter Ten. Thanks for sticking in there with me. :)**

**ShatterTheHeavens, my dear, with all these cookies and brownies, I fear you're going to make me fat! Lol. Anyway, yes, Zack and Sarah are all right and hopefully there won't be any trouble for them for at least a little while. Tseng finally apologized, I know! We'll see if he can keep up the 'good behavior'. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Myloveispurity8, no, I don't believe 'adrenaline' was spelt right, but who's looking? :) Thank you for your praise, I'm sure Kat and Cloud would thank you if they could as well! Thank you for the lovely review!**

**Axelxroxie, the world is coming to an end it seems! :) Nah, we'll just see what he's up to in the end, won't we? Thank you for your review, my dear!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**So, how about we get on with the show now?**

**Disclaimer: The usual stuff that goes here. Don't own it, blah, blah, blah.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Disturbing the Peace**

Sarah was laying in her bed in the Nibelheim hotel, scowling deeply once Rosa finished stitching up her side. The tan girl only sighed, "I don't know what the heck you did to yourself, but the Mako has repaired it now. You're lucky Zack called me."

Sarah grimaced, "Zack called you…?"

"Yeah, on your phone," Rosa replied, noticing how red Sarah was turning, "Why? What's wrong with that?"

"My phone…was in my back pocket," Sarah murmured, turning even redder as Rosa snickered loudly, "It's not funny!"

Rosa clasped a hand over her mouth, "You're embarrassed because he basically had to grope you in order to save your life? Sarah, you weren't conscious!"

"So!" Sarah screeched.

Rosa rolled her eyes, "I think that man has something to tell you anyway."

"What on Gaia could he have to tell me-?" Sarah started to shout before suddenly going silent.

Rosa turned and saw Zack coming down the hall, Rosa snickered once more as Sarah hissed, "Shut up!"

Zack entered the room and smiled, "So…how are things?"

Rosa patted Sarah's knee as she stood up, "Well, the moron is going to live, fortunately."

Zack's stressed face suddenly lit up, "So, you're okay?"

Sarah looked up at Zack and nodded slowly, "Yeah. I'm fine…Thanks for taking care of me down there…"

Zack's smile conquered his face, "Always."

Rosa cleared her throat and walked to the door, "I'm going to leave you two…" she smirked, "_alone_."

Sarah gaped, "ROSA!"

Rosa only cackled as she shut the door behind her, leaving the two rather embarrassed adults in the room together.

Sarah looked at Zack as he sat in the chair Rosa had been in moments before, "How are you? You weren't hurt, were you?"

Zack shook his head, "Nah. I think you just got the unlucky straw, you know. There was only one rod sticking out in the whole tunnel and you just happen to hit it."

Sarah shrugged, "Kat always said I had the best luck in the whole world…Oh, Goddess…Kat doesn't know about this, does she?"

"No, she hasn't gotten back in from her space adventure," Zack replied, "I think we're all cringing in fear. You know the moment she steps back onto this green planet… We are all going to be running for the hills…Well, you'll be limping, but-"

Sarah swatted his arm, "Zack!"

They both laughed, then Sarah sighed happily as Zack's larger, warmer hands held hers gently, "…Rosa said…there was something you wanted to tell me?"

Zack froze for a second, his thumbs running over her knuckles, and then he looked up at her, "You really scared me down there, you know…"

She only watched him, not wanting to interrupt if he was going to say something else, and she was right in that decision. Zack was struggling with the words he wanted to say, "I just…It really made me think while we were down there. I mean, yeah, I'm freaked about how Kat's going to react when she hears I couldn't even protect you properly, but…"

He exhaled heavily, "…But if you had died down there…I think I would've lost it. I can't express the way I felt…or the way I'm feeling now, but all I could think of was I would never get the chance to tell you…"

She squeezed his hands, "Zack…Tell me what…?"

He looked at their hands, "I'd never get to tell you…how you've totally flipped my world around. How before life was just a thing I had, there wasn't anything to really _do_ with it…But now…I wake up and I try to be the best I can be so…you'll be proud of me…That you're my reason for living…"

He looked up at her, putting pressure on her hands, "That I love you."

Sarah's mouth fell open and she stared at him in complete silence, heart hammering in her chest…

* * *

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked, walking down the hotel's hall with Genesis, seeing Rosa with her ear pressed against the closed door.

Rosa waved her hand at him, "Shut up! I'm trying to listen!"

Cloud made a face, Genesis shrugged, "All she can talk about is her attempt at making Zack and Sarah take 'the next step'."

Cloud face palmed himself, "Oh, Goddess…"

Genesis walked over, putting his own ear to the door, whispering, "What's happened…?"

"I don't know!" Rosa wailed, yet whispered at the same time.

Cloud stared at his two friends and then shook his head, turning away and walking back down the stairs, "This is why I keep _my_ feelings to myself…"

* * *

Sarah finally found it within her bodily functions to breathe, she squeezed his hands hard, "You do…?"

Zack nodded, "Yeah, I do…How could I not? You're smart, gorgeous, you can put up a fight, you're protective, fierce, everything I've ever wanted or needed…I know it seems crazy, being so soon after meeting…but I have to tell you now. After what just happened, I-"

Sarah took her hands from his and held his face gently, a smile on her face as she pulled him closer to her. He looked at her in surprise, "Sarah?"

She only laughed quietly, kissing him once, "I love you, too, Zack."

He beamed, "Really?"

"Yeah," she murmured as he went to kiss her again.

And things were finally settled with Sarah and Zack…

* * *

Rosa crossed her arms furiously as she walked down the steps, Genesis right behind her. The two hadn't heard a word after Genesis had joined in, so they could no longer know what had happened. Rosa and Genesis walked out into the small town circle, seeing Cloud and a blond woman standing a few yards away.

They walked over, Rosa saying loudly, "Cloud! Who're you talking to?"

Cloud looked at Rosa then at his mother, "Rosa, Genesis; this is my mother, Elizabeth Strife."

Elizabeth looked at Rosa a long moment, "Oh! You're one of the little girls, aren't you?"

Rosa looked surprised, "Um…what?"

Cloud shook his head, "It's nothing. I was telling her about you, Sarah, and Kat earlier."

"Oh," Rosa said, extending a hand, "Well, it's nice to meet you."

Elizabeth gave her son a long look before shaking Rosa's hand, "It is lovely to meet you. Cloud has told me so much about you."

Rosa grinned as Elizabeth greeted Genesis, then Cloud said, "Why don't you go inside, Mom?"

"Yes! I want to talk to Rosa a bit more! Why don't you go check on your friend, Cloud?" Elizabeth said as she grabbed Rosa's wrist and pulled the girl inside with her, "See you later, son!"

Then she shut the door, leaving the two men bewildered.

Genesis pointed at the door, "Is…your mother always like that?"

Cloud ran a hand over his face, "Yeah…She is."

Genesis snorted, "Where the hell did you get your DNA from? You're like polar opposites!"

Cloud and Genesis started walking toward Shin-Ra Manor, the blond only said, "I've got no idea."

* * *

"So, Rosa," Elizabeth Strife said, putting two cups of coffee on the small table as she sat down across from the tan SOLDIER, "I hear you're in SOLDIER? That's pretty rare for women."

Rosa nodded, "It was Kat and Sarah's idea."

"Kat? Cloud talks about her quite a bit," Elizabeth said with a fond smile, "Let me ask you something, Rosa. Have you ever been to Nibelheim?"

"Once, when I was really small. Why?" Rosa asked, tilting her head.

Elizabeth smiled, "…Because…I was the one who took care of you girls while your parents were trying to get ready to leave town."

Rosa grinned, "I knew it! Kat said she recognized Cloud and Tifa, but we didn't want to weird them out or anything!"

Elizabeth laughed quietly, "So you girls already made the connection? You always were smart kids…Well, could I ask you another question about Kathleen?"

"Sure, go ahead," Rosa said, taking a drink of her coffee.

Cloud's mother tilted her head now, "When Cloud was little…and you girls were here…he always seemed to have a crush on Kathleen. Is that still going on?"

Rosa gave a huge smile, teeth showing and all, "Mrs. Strife, I swear you're a psychic! Yeah! It's still going on. I don't know if it's cause Cloud's kind of slow in that department or if it's cause Kat's…afraid, I guess, but me and just about all the others are really trying to get them together!"

"Why on Gaia is Kathleen afraid of Cloud?" Elizabeth asked, looking concerned, "He didn't do anything, did he?"

"No," Rosa said, waving her hands around wildly, "Just the opposite! Cloud's been wonderful to her! But…the last relationship she was in…Well, it didn't go so well."

"Bad boyfriend?" Liz asked.

"Bad fiancé," Rosa said.

"Oh…" Elizabeth replied, looking sad, "That poor girl…After what that professor did to his test subjects…I'd really hoped nothing else would happen to her…"

"She's okay now," Rosa shrugged, "But this guy she was with, he works for our company and he's harassed her a couple times. Cloud's rescued her almost every time, it's kind of romantic, but they're both…clueless in their own way."

Elizabeth sighed, "Oh dear…Do you have a plan?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Rosa exclaimed happily, "Let me tell you…"

* * *

Three days later, Sarah was in a wheelchair, brought by Reno from Midgar, and Rosa was wheeling her out the door of Elizabeth Strife's house. All three girls were grinning and laughing about some inside joke, which the boys didn't get.

Elizabeth waved as the Turks loaded Sarah's chair and Sarah onto the helicopter, "You girls, bring Kat by sometime! I'd love to see her again!"

"Sure thing, Mrs. S!" Sarah and Rosa both said, waving as they boarded the helicopter door closed after Zack got in.

They watched Genesis and Cloud say goodbye to Elizabeth before getting on the other helicopter. Zack held Sarah's hand gently the entire ride, but then half way through Rosa said, "So, how're we getting Kat and Cloud together?"

Zack and Sarah looked at Rosa and then each other, both had huge grins on their faces.

Zack smirked, "This is going to be so much fun!"

* * *

Sarah was out of her chair about a week and a half later and she was pacing around her and Zack's room while Rosa had flopped down on Zack's bed. Sarah groaned, "Where _is_ she! She was supposed to be back three days ago!"

"Zack went to ask the Director, I'm sure she's on her way right now," Rosa tried to solace her friend, but nothing was working.

Rosa frowned as her cell phone rang, she walked outside, "Seph! What's going on? How close are you?"

"Actually…" Sephiroth replied from the other end, but then roared to someone else, "SHUT UP!"

Rosa heard Angeal yell at someone, no doubt Uncle Cid, _"I DON'T WANT YOUR DAMNED TEA!"_

Then Cid yelled back, _"DRINK YER GOD DAMN TEA NOW, YOU IDGIT!"_

Sephiroth sighed heavily, "I wish I was there with you."

"Same here," Rosa sighed back, sounding lovesick, "Oh! Zack and Sarah _finally_ told each other they loved each other!"

"Oh? Really?" Sephiroth growled, still distracted by the yelling in the kitchen on his end, "Sorry…Anyway, I take it that's a good thing?"

"Totally!" Rosa crowed, "One couple down, now to get Kat with," she looked around to make sure he wasn't around, "Cloud."

Sephiroth sighed, "What is it with you three and matchmaking?"

"We're good at it," Rosa shrugged, "So how close are you?"

"Well…the Materia moved positions again…Cid says it'll take the rocket at least another four or five days to get there," Sephiroth replied, "That means two weeks to get the rocket back…Does Sarah know it's Tseng and Kat on the rocket?"

"NO!" Rosa said loudly, "She's already stressed that Kat isn't back by now!"

"Still dreading the reaction Kat's going to have to Sarah's little near death experience?" Sephiroth laughed.

Rosa scoffed at her…was he her boyfriend? She didn't know, she decided she'd ask him once they were back. But she scoffed at him and said, "Have you ever _been_ on the opposite end of one of her rages? No thank you!"

Sephiroth laughed, "Well, we're going to be at least another week and a half…I've got to go. Cid's trying to make me drink more tea."

"Okay. Loves you!" Rosa said cheerily.

Sephiroth chuckled, "…Love you…"

"Yes!" Rosa cheered once she hung up, "I caught him off guard just for a second, but he totally said it! It counts!"

Then she walked inside and told Sarah the news about Kat, forgetting to disclude the part about Tseng. Sarah ended up tearing her wound open in her rage. Zack and Rosa took Sarah to the infirmary, where she then had to stay for an entire two weeks under watchful care while the wound healed completely.

* * *

Two weeks later, Sarah was driving herself crazy.

"I hate you, you know," Sarah said to Rosa as the tan girl flipped channels on the TV. Rosa just ignored her, Sarah scowled, "Hey! I was talking to you-"

"Zack! Want to play some video games!" Rosa asked excitedly once the raven haired man walked through the door.

The Mako eyed young man walked over to Sarah, kissed her, and then said, "Sure, but in a few minutes. I just want to chill for a minute. The Director has gone major overboard with these extra side missions. It's driving us to the brink."

Sarah held his hand as he flopped into the chair closest to her bed, "You okay? Maybe you should rest?"

"No rest for the wicked, I'm afraid," Zack said, grinning evilly at her.

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Oh, shut up."

Cloud entered, a box in his hands, "I come bearing gifts for the crazed woman in here."

"PIZZA!" Sarah shouted in triumph, taking the box from Cloud after hugging him, "I did tell you that you were my favorite, right, Cloud?"

Cloud laughed at the hurt expression on Zack's face, "Oh, Zack, favorite or not, this woman is in love with you. But you know, that totally breaks my heart, Sarah."

Through a mouthful of pizza Sarah said, "Totally."

"Eww," Rosa said, pointing the remote at her, "That's disgusting. Shut your mouth and swallow."

"That's what he said!" Zack said, causing Sarah to slap him on the back of the head. Zack whined, rubbing the spot she'd hit, "Ow! What was that for!"

She swallowed the pizza, "Because I hate that joke. Never say it again."

"Or what?" Zack said, trying to provoke her into saying something 'she said' worthy again.

Sarah only replied, "Or I'll spit pizza on your face."

Zack's expression went blank as Rosa stared disbelievingly at Sarah and Cloud cracked up, clutching his stomach from laughter. Genesis entered the room at that moment, staring at all of them, "Dear Goddess, you do know you all look like a bunch of loons in a mental facility?"

"We probably belong there," all four responded, surprising each other.

Genesis sat in the floor with one leg bent so he could rest his arm on it, "So, the Director is fixing to send a second group of Turks out to Rocket Town to see what the hold up is. It's almost been a month."

Sarah swallowed her bite of pizza and said, "What's happened to make the Director that concerned?"

"Well, technically we aren't supposed to be doing _anything_ without a SOLDIER General here at HQ, but they're both in Rocket Town. The President is becoming concerned and so is Lazard," Genesis explained, "The problem is that we've only got two Generals in the entire company. We only had one here until you guys came out into the open. Things were…hectic before you lot showed up."

Cloud nodded, "The training was insane before that, to make 2nd, I mean."

"Yeah, it was crazy getting to 1st. The only reason I made it as quickly as I did was because I had Angeal on the inside helping me," Zack said, "They're going to be desperate to get Kat and Seph back or they're going to promote some of us up."

Sarah sighed, "Why the hell don't they promote more people up anyway?"

"Payroll," Zack, Cloud, and Genesis all said.

Rosa nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense. Kat's pay is crazy, let alone two like that? The funny thing is she didn't even request pay when she asked for us to be allowed in."

Cloud looked over at them, "How did you guys get into SOLDIER?"

Sarah shrugged, "We saved Lazard and the President's lives. They turned us down, but we were there at the right time. Wutai assassins were there, we took them out when their group of Turks couldn't sense them. Got us promoted into SOLDIER like _that_," she ended while snapping her fingers.

The three men gaped, Rosa changed the channel, "Oh, get over it."

Four of the five cell phones in the room suddenly went off, they all answered, leaving Sarah confused as they all looked at one another, "Director?"

"Guys, I've done something miraculous! I've learned how to call several people at once!" Lazard exclaimed excitedly, "But, that's not why I called you four! I need you in my office ASAP."

They all bid Sarah farewell and headed to Lazard's office. The Director only looked at them, "I need you four at the lobby to direct in our special guests and their cargo. They'll be arriving any moment."

The four set off, standing in the elevator. Rosa was the first to speak, "Who do you think it is?"

Genesis shrugged, "Who knows? It must be someone important or he wouldn't send all four of us."

Zack crossed his arms, "Let's just get this over with so I can get back to Sarah."

"If you two are going to be all lovey-dovey from now on…" Cloud began, causing the other two to laugh and Zack to roll his eyes.

"Whatever, man," Zack scoffed, "You're just mad because I've got a hot girl and you don't."

Rosa leaned around Zack to look at Cloud, "I bet if you made a move on a certain General then you'd have one though!"

Zack patted Rosa on the head proudly, "Now _that_ is a great idea! Why don't you take her advice?"

Cloud shook his head, "What is it with you people?"

The three snorted as the elevator opened and they walked out onto the second floor of the lobby. They walked over to the railing and looked down at the first floor, where the entrances and exits were.

Genesis turned, leaning against the rail with his back, "So, who the heck are we supposed to be looking for…?"

It was less than thirty second later when Rosa shouted the answer as she took off running down the stairs-

"KAT!"

* * *

**Not much to say, I'm afraid. Review? **

**~Sarah~**


	11. The Return of the Generals

**Guess who's back? Well, yes, Kat is, but so am I with a new chapter! I've been a bit obsessed with Panic! At The Disco's new album, Vices & Virtues, and I'm retrying my hand at a couple of older games, so I thought I should post Chapter Eleven before my mind wanders too far off. :) So, reviews:**

**Myloveispurity8, well, I'm back at last and I should be posting more frequently. It's all depending on reviews and readers, of course! :) Thanks for your review!**

**ShatterTheHeavens, yes, Zack and Sarah have finally made things official! As for Sephiroth and Rosa, I'm sure their time is coming very soon. Cloud and Kat? Well, we'll just have to wait and see! :) One of my favorite moments was writing the bit with Cid and Angeal! Thank you for you review!**

**Axelxroxie, Sephiroth _did_ say 'love you', didn't he? :) Yes, Kat's back and I'm sure there is going to be hell to pay! Thanks for you review! **

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Kat, Sarah, and Rosa are mine. Unfortunately, the others are not. :(**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Return of the Generals**

_Two Days Earlier…_

We finally landed back in Rocket Town with our Huge Materia in tow nearly a month later. It turned out that another rocket had been carrying the Materia a few years back and had exploded in mid-flight. The Materia had gotten stuck in a meteor and that meteor had been found…until we got out there. Once we got out there the stupid meteor decided to move and we had to hunt it down.

One month later, a Huge Materia acquired, and a friendship fixed; I was back on planet Gaia.

I ran my hands through my way too long hair and sighed deeply the moment my feet touched the ground, "Thank the Goddess."

Angeal laughed, giving me a hug, "Glad to have you back."

Tseng got off after me, yawning, "Goddess, is it good to be back on the ground or what?"

"I know!" I cheered happily, Angeal and Sephiroth had both been witness to our repaired friendship, so they weren't confused by our friendly banter.

Sephiroth patted my head, "Good to have you back. Your friends have been calling, worried sick for the last week or two."

I scowled, "Well, I'll talk to them when we get back. I'm sure there will be an interrogation or something."

All three men laughed as Cid came over and put an arm around my shoulders, "Want some tea?"

"Uh, no," I said, "I don't want any-"

"DRINK YER GOD DAMN TEA!" He shouted at me, shoving me in the direction of his house.

Sephiroth and Angeal both stared at me as we all four ran to the house, I scratched the back of my neck, "Cid demands everyone drinks tea…and he yells _that_ at people who refuse."

"Then why refuse?" Seph and Ang both asked.

Tseng laughed, "She forgot."

I sighed, "I forgot…"

They all laughed at me as we entered the house. Shera looked at me sympathetically, "Tea again?"

The laughter only continued…

* * *

After the helicopter was forced to land on the bottom helipad outside HQ's entrance, we all walked in the front door. I sighed in relief, hands on my hips, and said, "It is good to be back."

"KAT!"

Suddenly I couldn't breathe, I tried to pat the tan girl's shoulder as she crushed me to death, "R-Rosa…C-Can't…breathe…!"

"Oh, damn!" She exclaimed, letting me go and stepping back, "You're the special guest!"

I shrugged, not knowing what she was talking about, "I guess. We've got the Huge Materia and it was a pain to get!"

Rosa grinned, "All right! We've got all four!"

I nodded grinning back as Sephiroth walked in next to me and Rosa happily wrapped herself around him. Tseng and Angeal walked in on my left, both looking at me, wondering why I'd stopped. I looked at Rosa, "Where are the others? We need help lugging this thing up."

Rosa pointed up at the three men gaping at me and my party, "They're up there."

She waved them down and they came, I frowned, "Where's Sarah?"

Rosa made a face, "Um…She's sleeping. I'll take you to see her after you give your report, okay?"

I nodded, turning to Cloud, Zack, and Genesis, "Hey, guys! What's up? No hugs?"

Zack snickered, hugging me so hard I was lifted off the ground, "I missed you! What took so long?"

"Ah, the Materia was in space. We had to chase it all over the place," I said as he set me down, "What about you guys?"

"Um, another story for later," Rosa replied.

Genesis hugged me, "Welcome back!"

I grinned, hugging the LOVELESS freak, "It's great to be back."

The three went outside with the others as they went to get the Materia unloaded, but I turned and hugged Cloud hard, "Missed you, roommate-of-mine."

He chuckled, hugging me back, "It's been pretty lonely without you."

I poked him in the side, "Aw, you missed me, too?"

"Yeah, something like that," he laughed, letting me go, "How did things go with… him?"

"You won't even believe it!" I said, looking up at him as we walked outside to help the others, "I'll tell you later, in the room."

Once we had the Materia loaded and taken up to the Director's office, Rosa turned to me and said, "Close your eyes! We've all got a surprise for you!"

I frowned, but closed my eyes and let them lead me to the elevator. I only opened them when Rosa said, "Okay! Now!"

My frown only deepened when I opened my eyes and saw a closed, wooden door- none of us had wooden doors. I turned and saw all of the others, even Sephiroth and Angeal, watching me. I gave them a look and then opened the door, seeing Sarah laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a couple machines.

_One…_

Sarah gaped at me, the remote still in her hand, "Kat!"

_Two…_

I blinked and inhaled sharply, not sure what to say or do. Then…

_Three…_

I turned, glaring at them all-

_BOOM!_

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED, YOU DUMBASSES!" I roared, turning back quickly, glaring at Sarah next, "Someone better start talking now or you're all going to die! Believe me, I will NOT hesitate to-!"

"It was an accident!" Sarah shouted over me, trying to get my attention, then glared at the others behind me, "You didn't _tell_ her! How'd you get her _here_!"

Rosa scratched the back of her head, "Um…I told her to close her eyes?"

Sarah gaped, I inhaled and exhaled deeply, as she said, "Wow, guys. That's real mature!"

She gestured toward the empty chair at her bedside and I sat down, listening to her story. I wasn't please with the way things had happened, but I already knew about the mission switch, so things went smoother than they all planned. I smiled with pride when I heard about how Zack had taken care of Sarah and finally confessed his real feelings. Then I got to tell my story, about how the Materia had moved, Cid deciding who was going into the rocket, and about the four weeks Tseng and I had been forced together.

Several of the others weren't pleased when I ended my story; everyone except the two who'd been present were upset.

"Kat…this is really dumb of you," Sarah said after a few minutes, many of the others nodding in approval, "…Tseng…He isn't a good guy. He isn't good for you in _any_ way. Why can't you just stay away from him?"

"Because…" I replied slowly, "…he's my friend."

Rosa shook her head, she was sitting by my right leg, looking up at me, "Kat, Sarah is right. You're really smart, we all know that, but this…It's stupid, like 'I'm going to run into a fire naked' stupid," many of the boys sniggered, "Just…stay away from him, Kat. Your life…You've been so much happier since you left him."

"I can be friends with him and not be romantically involved," I pointed out.

The girls were both quiet, it was Zack who said, "Tseng is bad news. He uses people and throws them away, Kat. You've already gone through this once, just save yourself the heartache and leave it alone."

I stared at them all, "…I can't. He's my friend, Ang and Seph heard. He's changed…He's learned from the past."

Everyone just stared at me, I looked at my hands, "…I'll try."

"What?" Sarah asked, looking at me.

"…I said…I'll try to stay away from him," I replied softly.

Sarah opened her mouth, but Rosa interrupted whatever she was going to say and said, "That's a start. Do your best, okay?"

I nodded, smiling grimly, "I'll try."

Angeal cleared his throat, "So…I was thinking, once Sarah gets the okay to get out, we've all got a few days off. Why not head over to that Chocobo Ranch? We could all chill out a couple days, ride some Chocobos, stuff like that?"

Sarah nodded, "Yeah! I've never seen a Chocobo up close!"

"Then it's settled?" I asked, everyone agreeing.

"So we're totally going on vacation!" Rosa crowed excitedly.

I grinned, "Awesome."

* * *

Cloud and I were both packing for our five day trip to the ranch that night, the atmosphere was tense…uncomfortable. I threw another t-shirt into my bag, the silence stretched on…finally he turned to me, "You're really giving him a second chance?"

I shook my head, "No, not like that. I just…If I'm going to be working here in HQ then…I have to get along with him, somewhat. Everyone acts like I don't know what's going on because I'm so close to the whole situation…but I'm not stupid. I'm not going to let that idiot get control over me again."

Cloud only looked at me, silently, and I stopped, turning to face him, "Cloud, I don't expect you to understand…I don't even understand…but it's like I've said before. This is something I've got to figure out on my own…I know I can't get close like before, but if I leave it untouched…It's going to be like an infected wound, it'll fester and then it'll get worse in the long run. I have to deal with this _now_."

Cloud studied my face for a long time and then said, "Okay…If you're sure you can do this…without getting too close…then I'll back you up. Even against Sarah."

I stared, breathless, "Really?"

He nodded once, "Yeah. I promise…as long as you keep a good distance from him, that is."

I smiled, hugging him tight, "Thanks, Cloud…It means a lot to me…"

I felt his hesitation, but then he hugged me back, "I'd do anything for you, you know…You're…a dear friend…"

I felt my smile falter, but pulled away from him, "Yeah…You, too."

I looked at the clock on my nightstand, 5:17 PM, and then turned to him, "Want to take a walk?"

He turned with a snort, "It's like that's all we do, isn't it? Walk and talk?"

I shrugged, "If you've got a better idea…?"

"How about we just sit here and talk? We'll be outside for an entire week after Sarah is discharged," Cloud laughed, sitting on his bed.

I nodded, "Okay, let's talk here."

Then it began…one of our hours long conversations. It was one of the few conversations I'd had in my life that I never wanted to end…but that was the way most of our conversations were, Cloud and mine. I was pretty sure that I was beginning to really care about him…but I had to deal with Tseng first.

If I couldn't deal with Tseng then nothing could ever really happen for Cloud and I, because I tended to live in the past when I left something undone. I couldn't lead him or myself on like that…because then I would end up doing the same thing to Cloud that Tseng had done to me.

If that ever happened then I'd have to kill myself, though.

I had to ask suddenly, "Cloud…I know Zack and Genesis were somewhat along the lines of players before we arrived, the other two had something of social lives, but what about you? Didn't you have a girlfriend or something?"

"Me? Nah…My Mom swears the only crush I've ever had was when I was a kid," Cloud said, a mysterious look on his face, "…apparently there was a group of people who stopped in Nibelheim when I was younger. There were three families and each had one daughter…but the youngest girl…she was my age, but I never talked to her. I think back on it now and I think it was because I was scared, you know? She was really…bold, and I just…wasn't."

Did Cloud…realize…he was talking about me…? I was the youngest out of Rosa, Sarah, and I by one week. Sarah was born exactly one week before me, Rosa was a couple months older, and that made me the baby…which was probably why Sarah and Rosa were as protective as they were.

I only smiled, telling the truth, "I bet she wanted to talk to you…She just…didn't have any time to…"

Cloud looked at me, a stunned look in his eyes, and then we both realized the other knew _exactly_ what the other was talking about.

We both said, "You remember that?"

Then we burst out laughing, the awkwardness and the silliness of the entire situation got to us. We talked about what had happened back then, but anything related to Cloud's 'crush' was dropped. I didn't bring it up, but neither did he. Which was a good thing for me in that moment.

We went to bed soon after…

The next day we started our short journey to the Chocobo Ranch…and a week full of mischief…

* * *

"Rosa! Sephiroth!" I yelled, the others were behind me or heading down the hall toward the elevator, getting ready to board a few helicopters to go to the ranch. I pounded my fist on the door, "Guys!"

I finally just opened the door…and stared.

Rosa and Sephiroth were sitting in front of their small TV, both had controllers in their hands, and were staring at the screen with unbreakable concentration. I looked over my shoulder at Sarah, Zack, and Cloud, "Who can run the fastest?"

Zack…poor, poor Zack didn't even think about what he was saying when he spoke, "I am!"

Sarah pushed him in the room and I said, "You have to unplug the game system and television, plus get out of the room before they kill you. Can you do it?"

Zack stared blankly at us before turning, swallowing loudly, and then doing everything I had just said-dashing out the door madly as the two angry SOLDIERs ran after him, suitcases and all.

Sarah looked at me, "Zack is probably my only chance to get married…_ever_. If you just got him killed…"

"You're the one that pushed him in the room," I said.

Cloud snickered, "Kat's right. You _did_ push him in first."

"Oh, shut up, Cloud," Sarah said, waving her hand at him as we walked down the hallway to the elevators.

* * *

It was less than an hour later when we arrived at the ranch, an older gentleman, Choco Bill or something, showed us to our rooms…We had four rooms…the problem was that three of the four had one large bed in each. The fourth had two twin sized beds in it…

"WE CALL THAT ONE!" Genesis yelled, grabbing Angeal's arm and dragging him into the room with the twin beds.

Rosa and Sephiroth went into one of the three rooms with one bed in it. Rosa dropped her bag on one side of the bed, "Whatever. We don't care which room we're in."

"Right," Sephiroth agreed as he sat down on the bed.

The rest of us stood in the hallway, realization hitting me as my face began to burn slightly. Sarah snickered at me, "You two have to share a bed."

Cloud had a stony look on his face, and for a moment I swore I saw fear, but then he recovered and glared at Zack, who was smirking at us like he'd planned it that way. Cloud nudged me slightly with his elbow, telling me to follow his lead silently, and said, "We don't mind. Right, Kat?"

I recovered from my embarrassment immediately, crossing my arms and looking at the other couple, "Yeah, whatever."

Sarah and Zack's faces both fell slightly, like they'd lost some bet, as Cloud and I turned, going into one of the other two rooms. I dropped my bag and he dropped his, I turned back to the other two, still standing in the hallway, "Are we doing anything today as far as going out?"

Sarah scowled and went into their room as Zack said, "I think that guy is going to show us how to ride the different kinds of Chocobos, anything else…Nah, I don't think so."

I nodded, walking back to the doorway, "Let's mosey then."

Getting onto the Chocobos…was entertaining, to say in the least. Rosa, of all people, had no problem getting onto her gold colored Chocobo. She was sitting in the weird saddle, watching the rest of us struggle-even Sephiroth.

Seph and I had blue colored Chocobos, and they _hated_ us. Every time I _finally_ got my foot into one of the straps for my feet, the damned bird would turn and loosen the saddle…causing the saddle_ and_ me to flip upside down as it ran. I walked away with a sizable gash on my face.

Sephiroth's simply wouldn't cooperate. It had started out as Gen's, but Gen didn't want the blue one, he wanted a traditional yellow, and forced Seph to switch. If the man hadn't switched…then he wouldn't have ended up in the 'special' category I had. Sephiroth got on the bird with no problem…until the sheath of Sephiroth's sword suddenly broke and his blade cut off some of the Chocobo's feathers.

I don't think anyone will be forgetting what happened next.

The bird reared back, tossing the man off, and turned…pecking Sephiroth in the face repeatedly before any of us realized that when he'd been tossed off he'd been knocked out.

Sephiroth and I were the only _seriously_ wounded ones out of the entire group…

Zack promptly made fun of us from his green mount. Then Rosa yanked on Zack's Chocobo's tail feathers…and it threw him over its head before proceeding to trample on him. Sarah looked at me, shrugged, and said, "He had it coming."

I cracked up.

Cloud's went reasonably well, he only fell off a couple times before settling on his yellow bird.

Angeal and Genesis's Chocobos…must not have liked each other because they kept pecking each other in the face. Causing the men riding them to flail and nearly fall off multiple times.

Sarah got on her green Chocobo and then, somehow, but no one really saw it, she was _flying_ through the air…and face planting on the ground.

The broken nose was loads of fun to cure.

In the end we all got onto our birds and Choco whatever his name was taught us how to 'properly' ride…which ended in a race with the boys and Rosa.

I wasn't comfortable with the Chocobo I was on to race and Sarah just didn't want to…Rosa won.

We all sat in the farm's kitchen and ate snacks that night.

The problems began again when Sarah suddenly decided it would be weird to sleep in the same bed with Zack after everyone had showered and was getting ready to go to bed.

"No, I'll sleep in the floor or something," Sarah said, standing in the hallway in her pajamas.

Rosa scoffed, "Sarah! You slept _on top_ of him the first night in Midgar!"

"What?" Cloud said, standing beside me as we stood in our doorway.

Sarah was wearing her knee length cut off shorts and a tank top as she stood in the hallway, her room across from ours. I was in my spaghetti strapped shirt and long black pajama pants as I leaned against our frame. Rosa was in her cut off mini shorts and a shirt similar to my own as she sat in the floor of the hallway, looking at us.

Cloud had a tank top of some sort on and long pajama pants on as well as he stood next to me, he crossed his arms and said, "You did what on top of Zack?"

"Remember?" I asked, looking up at him, "We were all so drunk that night? Well, Sarah ended up going to sleep right on top of Zack!"

Cloud laughed, Sarah blushed, "Shut up! At least I didn't play snuggles with my suitcase!"

Rosa scowled, "Hey!"

We laughed again, then Sarah and Rosa looked at us, "Wait!"

I frowned, "What?"

Rosa pointed at Cloud and I, "You never told us what happened when you went to your room that night!"

"Nothing big," I said with a shrug.

Cloud nodded, "I was fixing to go to bed when she walked in. I just let her in and she went to her bed."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "You two are _so_ boring!"

We only laughed, but then Sarah said, "I'm serious, I'm sleeping in the floor."

Zack emerged from their room, shaking his head, wearing pajamas similar to Cloud's only a different color, "You're not sleeping in the floor. I will."

I only sighed, "Guys, seriously…"

Sarah pouted, "Fine…We'll settle it ourselves. Night, guys!"

"Night," the three of us said, all turning to go to our rooms.

Cloud shut the door behind me as I walked over to where I'd dropped my bag, rummaging through it till I found my computer. I sat in the floor in between the wall and the bed and started looking at some work I hadn't done yet.

Cloud walked around the side of the bed and looked at me, "What are you doing…?"

"Working," I answered as if it were obvious, "What else?"

He stared at me, "Kat…You're on vacation."

I looked up at him, "Cloud, I was in _space_ an entire month. My work doesn't just _magically _get done. I'm way behind."

Cloud closed his eyes, a hand over his face, "Is this about the bed?"

I stared at him blankly, _'…Am I _**that**_ transparent?'_

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair, "I had always been planning to sleep in the floor, Kat."

I blinked, "What? You can't do that!"

"I can't let you sleep in the floor, Kat. That's goes against everything my mother taught me," Cloud said, giving me a serious look.

I sighed, unable to argue with that, closed my laptop and sat on my side of the bed. Cloud peeked over the edge of the bed, "Can I have my pillow?"

I bit my lip and gave it to him, he then reached over to the desk close to him and turned off the lamp. He was laying in the floor where I couldn't see him, I lay back against my pillows…and it was silent…

Twenty minutes went by like that…

I finally crawled down to the end of the bed and looked over the edge, staring down at Cloud, who was staring up at the ceiling. We didn't say anything for a few minutes and then he murmured, "Kat…? What are you doing?"

"You're making me feel bad…" I replied quietly, still staring at him.

Cloud sat up, looking at me, "Kat, there isn't anything else we can do…"

I bit my lip, feeling the slight blush on my face, "…Just get in the bed."

He exhaled, running a hand over his face, "Kat-"

I got out of bed, "I'm going to get something to drink. When I get back you better be on your side."

I opened and shut the door behind me, walking down the hallway silently…I wasn't comfortable here. It had been difficult to adjust to Midgar, but this was completely different. I felt open, exposed here on this ranch. I got into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, taking a drink before walking back to the hallway.

I stopped in front of my door and Sarah's, I opened the door to Sarah's room and looked in. A smile spread across my face as I saw Sarah wrapped in Zack's arms, both in the bed, and both snoring softly. I shook my head with a smile, "Such dorks…"

I slipped out as quietly as I had coming in and went into my own room. I walked in, shutting the door behind me, and set my water bottle on the nightstand next to my side. I tried my best not to think about Cloud on the other side…It really wasn't the time for my mind to wander. Maybe he was asleep though…?

I slipped into my side of the bed and rolled so I faced the wall…

Cloud sighed heavily suddenly, slightly scaring me, "Kat…Are you sure you want me up here?"

I smiled, realizing I had known he hadn't been asleep, and replied, "No…It's fine. It's just…"

"Awkward?" He provided.

I agreed, "A bit. It's only for a couple days though, so we can pull through it… Unless…you have a problem with it?"

"No! Err…I mean, I'm fine," Cloud said, sounding embarrassed, "…I just wanted to make sure you were really okay with it."

"Yeah…I'm fine," I said quietly, finally relaxing, "Thanks, Cloud…"

"For what?" He asked, perplexed.

I sighed heavily, feeling sleep creeping up on me, "…for caring."

He sighed as well, sounding tired as he replied, "…always."

Then I was out.

* * *

"Kat!" Rosa's voice whispered in my ear, I groaned softly and swatted a hand at her as she said, "Kat, I _need_ you!"

I opened my eyes, seeing it was still dark, "What, Rosa? What could you possibly _need_ from me at a time like this?"

Rosa was crouched in between the wall and the bed, her face close to mine as she whispered, "…I need to talk."

I sighed, exasperated, "About what?"

"…I…" She trailed, then she blinked and said, "…Sephiroth…and me. I know Sarah will react in defense…like she does with you and Tseng, so I need to talk to you. Just for a second?"

I looked over at Cloud, but I realized he was completely out of it, and turned to Rosa, "What's wrong?"

Rosa's face was illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the cracked blinds of the window on my side. She looked worried, her dark eyes slightly sad, "…I think I might be in love with him."

"…Hmm…" I murmured, then looked at her, "You think or you know?"

Rosa had sat down on the floor cross legged, looking up at me, and admitted, "I love him…Kat, I know I do."

"Then what's bad about that?" I murmured quietly, "Seph is totally infatuated with you. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in love with you already."

Hope sparked in my older friend's eyes, "Really?"

"Yeah," I replied through a yawn, "Rosa, Sephiroth has never fought _anyone_ over a girl. You're the first. He's always really protective when there are flirtatious guys around, he bends over backwards trying to make you happy or just to see you smile, and he spoke about you a lot to me while I was in space. If the man _isn't_ in love then he's clearly obsessed, which is close enough."

Rosa laughed, sounding slightly choked up, and then hugged me awkwardly, because of the way I was laying. She backed up slightly, "How did the baby of the group mature so quickly?"

I smiled sleepily, "Just tell him how you feel, kiddo. It'll go well, I promise, or I'll resign as General and work here on the Chocobo Ranch forever."

Rosa laughed silently, "Thanks, Kat. Sorry for waking you up…it was just bothering me so bad…"

"No problem," I replied, "I'm going to get some sleep now, though…"

She nodded, patting my head, "Night, Kat."

"Night…" I grumbled as she left, hearing the door close.

I sighed sleepily, "Why…is everyone in love…lately…?"

Then I yawned and was asleep once more.

* * *

**So, I've decided that three reviews warrants a new chapter. The moment I see three reviews for the latest chapter then I'll go to work posting the next one! I would like to thank the twelve people following this story, the eight on the alert list, and the faithful reviewers! You make this story possible and I hope you're enjoying it as much as I love writing it! :)**

**Thank you, everyone!**

**Don't forget to review on your way out! ;)**

**~Sarah~**


	12. A Vacation To Remember

**See? I do keep promises! :) Three reviews was all it took and we have four, my dears, so here's your new chapter! It's hard to believe that this is actually the mid point of the story! Only twelve more chapters to go! So, onto reviews:**

**ShatterTheHeavens, the Chocobo parts were some of my favorites as I wrote the next chapter or so! And Zack's just being Zack, I suppose! :) Thanks for the review!**

**Axelxroxie, I'm glad you liked the chapter and the Chocobo parts! Thanks for your review, my dear! :)**

**Myloveispurity8, yes, Rosa is a 'Chocobo Whisperer' in her spare time! ;) Rosa really cares about Sephy and so I was pretty pleased with the way things turned out with them! Kat and Cloud will have their time...but I wonder when? :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Chibigokugirl, thank you for reviewing for the first time! I hope you're enjoying the story and I'm proud to present you with a new chapter! :)**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: No, nothing has changed. :( All original characters are mine, Cloud's not, sigh...**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**A Vacation To Remember **

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Rosa whined, stomping her feet the next morning when everyone was sitting at the table. She looked out the window and pressed her face against it, "Why is it_ raining_! It never rains here!"

I laughed, sitting in between Zack and Cloud, and taking a bite of a piece of toast. Sarah, sitting on the other side of Zack and Angeal, said, "Looks like we're staying inside today."

I scoffed, "That's an understatement. I don't care what anyone says about that bird walking on or through water, I am _not_ getting on that Chocobo in the rain."

Sephiroth quickly agreed, "I'm with Kat on this one."

Everyone snickered, but Rosa turned around, hands on her hips, "But I'm _bored_."

"The helicopter won't be back for days," Angeal said, taking a second cup of coffee, "So, we're going to have to do something."

"Or," Genesis began, "we could just sleep in or something."

We all snickered and then Zack said, "Wait…You're serious?"

Genesis looked exasperated, "We're SOLDIERs! When do we _ever_ sleep in!"

There was a second of silence and then I admitted, "He's…got a point."

Everyone slowly began to disperse, going back to the rooms or heading to the bathrooms to brush teeth. Sarah and I put dishes in the sink, the Choco family was out in the barn, and that left the two of us alone.

I turned to her after making sure everyone was gone, whispering, "Did you know Rosa was thinking of telling Seph she was in love with him?"

"What?" She whispered back, wide eyed, "No way!"

"Way," I said, running water over the plate in my hands, "She woke me up early this morning, wanting to talk about it."

"Like, how early?" Sarah asked, looking over our shoulders before looking at me again.

"Like three or four in the morning," I answered, putting the dishes away.

Sarah turned, sitting on the counter as she used a cloth to rub a coffee mug clean, "So…Rosa came to you at four in the morning to talk about Sephiroth? Why?"

I shrugged, washing my hands off, "She said she was afraid to go to you because of how you'd react."

"How I'd react? Because it's so soon after we met the guys?" Sarah asked, I nodded, and she scoffed, "I'm a lot of things, but a hypocrite isn't one of them. If Rosa thinks she's in love then she's in love. I think she's been around the corner enough times to know what the difference between lust and love is."

I nodded, "That's what I thought, but it was so early. I just listened and told her what I thought."

"And what _do_ you think?" Sarah prodded.

I sighed, sitting down in one of the many chairs and looked at my friend, "Honestly? I'm happy for her, and for you. You've both got great men in your lives and you're both happy. You're happy, I'm happy. I think it's wonderful!"

Sarah gave me a long look, "You've got a good man in yours, too, you know."

I frowned deeply, confused, "What are you talking about?"

Sarah looked around again and then jumped off the counter, sitting in the chair across from me, "Kat, Cloud is a good guy."

I made a face, "Not this…"

"What? You can't tell me you don't like him!" Sarah hissed at me, "He's loads better than that moron…"

I shook my head, hands over my face, "Sarah, I'm not doing this with you again."

Sarah threw her hands in the air as she scoffed, "Unbelievable."

I let one of my hands smack the table in agitation, "I'm not with _him_ anymore! I never will be ever again! I…I'm just trying to get along with him somewhat. Plus, I was trapped in a freaking space rocket with him for a month…We talked, we're on the right path to being friends. Friends, that's it."

"Then what is your opposition to being anything more with Cloud?" Sarah asked, looking at me with despair in her eyes.

"I…The other reason I want to be friends with Tseng is so I can face this thing head on. I avoided thinking or dealing with what happened with Tseng so I could pretend it didn't happen…If anything even were to happen with Cloud then I wouldn't want my actions to be influenced by whatever happened with Tseng," I answered, looking into the hallway to make sure no one was coming.

Sarah frowned, but looked somewhat pleased, "…You're one hundred percent sure nothing is going to happen with…him again?"

I smiled, nodding, "Yeah, that's what I've been trying to tell you."

She only sighed, shaking her head, "Fine…but…at least try with Cloud? I can tell you like him a lot more than you're letting on and Zack keeps telling me Cloud likes you a lot…So…please?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'll try."

Then I smirked, looking at Sarah suddenly, "So…who slept in the floor last night?"

"That was you!" Sarah exclaimed softly, looking at me with wide eyes as I snickered evilly, "I thought I heard something, but I wasn't sure!"

We both laughed quietly and then Rosa came dancing into the room, "Sarah! Kat! What are you both doing in here?"

"Talking," we both said at once.

"About…?" Rosa asked, sitting on the table in between us.

"You," I said when Sarah said, "Nothing."

Rosa snickered as Sarah face palmed herself, I grinned, "What?"

She only shook her head, the three of us laughed, and Rosa said, "I think this vacation will be good for all of us."

"Goddess know we worked for it," Sarah said as she stood up, stretching, and then looked over at the clock, "-Holy crap! We've been in here for two hours!"

"What!" I shouted, standing, turning to see the clock as well, "Damn!"

They both laughed at my expression, Rosa only said, "What? You've got somewhere to be in this thunder storm? Choco Bob, Billy, whatever that guy's name is, said that this storm is going to get worse and let up in the morning."

I groaned, Sarah shook her head, "Still scared of thunder?"

"I can't help it!" I whined.

They chuckled and then Sarah said, "I'm going to go hang out with Zack."

"Yeah," Rosa said as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, "I'm going back to my room."

I walked down the hall and went into my room, splitting from the girls, but walked into a mess. I snorted, a hand over my mouth, as I looked at Cloud. The man was hanging off the bed, upside down, with feathers everywhere and what looked like a sock over his head.

He couldn't see me, but he turned his head slightly, "Kat? Is that you?"

I tried not to laugh, I really did, but I burst into a fit of giggles, "What the hell _happened_ to you!"

Cloud cleared his throat, "Erm…Zack. He got bored, I guess. I was asleep, I don't know how he managed to do this without a tranquilizer or something…but he did."

I walked over, squatted down, and pulled the sock off his head. His Mako colored eyes stared at my face upside down, I bit my lip as I tried not to laugh, "And how long have you been awake?"

"Ten minutes or so…but the blood is rushing to my head," Cloud murmured.

I snickered, "You didn't move?"

"Well," Cloud said, trying to move his hands, but I now saw Zack had tied his hands with yet another sock. I made a face at him that said, 'How?', and all Cloud did was shake his head, "I've got no clue. I think…he _might_ have been planning this."

"Might?" I snorted, "Cloud, this is crazy. He was_ totally _planning this. He probably put something in your coffee when he found out Sarah and I were doing dishes."

"Yeah…That sounds like Zack," Cloud mumbled as I leaned over him and untied his hands.

After several minutes, Cloud was finally sitting in the floor with me, all the blood rushing back through his body. I stared at him, "How did you get upside down?"

"I was trying to get help," Cloud admitted, "I slipped and ended up the way you found me. Thought I was going to die for a second there."

I chuckled, pushing him on the shoulder slightly, "Damn, Cloud. I've heard of pranks, but Zack _really _got you."

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously, "Yeah, I guess he did."

I reached up at patted his head with a weird smile on my face, Cloud's face went slack for a moment and then he laughed quietly, "That's exactly what you did when I was helping you get out of Nibelheim."

I nodded, pulling my hand back and letting it fall into my lap, "I was never good with farewells…So I adjusted."

Cloud grinned, "So…you pat people on the head?"

"It's a gesture that only people closest to me really understand…but this time I used it to let you know I remember…and for you to remember," I said, tilting my head slightly.

"To remember what…?" He asked, looking at me oddly.

I smiled, "That you've got friends…At least, friends that aren't going to tie you up in your sleep as a prank."

He rolled his eyes and stood up, offering a hand to me. I took his and let him help me up, once he was up we walked across the hall. I knocked on Sarah's door, within seconds she opened the door and looked from me to the disheveled Cloud, "What happened?"

"Your boyfriend attacked Cloud in his sleep," I said, crossing my arms, "I walked in and Cloud was bound by his hands and had a sock over his head…he was upside down. Blood rushing to his head and all that wonderful stuff."

Sarah ran a hand over her face, "Zack!"

"I didn't do it!" Zack yelled from inside the room.

Sarah turned, "Oh, he _so_ did it if he's already saying that!"

We snickered as we heard Zack yell in pain, "Sorry, Cloud! I won't do it again! I swear!"

The day moved by slowly, the storm getting gradually worse as the night approached. The worse the storm got…the more I panicked.

At one point I was sitting between the wall and the bed, on my computer, working, when one loud crack of thunder had me yanking my pillow off the bed and stuffing it over my ears. Cloud walked in the room just then and stared at me. I stared back and snarled, "What! Do you think it's funny too!"

Cloud closed the door and looked at me, "You're…scared of thunder?"

I closed my eyes, rocking back and forth slightly, "Goddess, help me…"

He exhaled and said, "I'll be back."

He left the room, I opened my eyes and whimpered, "I want to go home…"

* * *

Rosa walked out of her room the same moment Cloud walked out of his. The blond gestured toward his door, "Tell me you know what to do about Kat?"

Rosa frowned and then realization spread across her face, "Oh, hell. The thunder."

Cloud nodded, "She's having a meltdown or something."

A wicked grin spread across her face suddenly, "You know…what usually helps is when someone holds her."

"What?" Cloud asked, taken off guard.

"You know, like a hug, only longer?" Rosa said, walking past the blond, "Good luck, Cloud!"

Cloud watched her walk down the hall and disappear, "…Sometimes I swear they're setting me up…"

* * *

Thunder and lightning…

It was dark outside now, I was biting my lip as I tried not to cry or whimper about the noise. I was still sitting where I'd been before, but my computer was put away and I was honestly considering _running _back to Midgar. The door opened and Cloud returned, he looked at me and said, "Kat, just go to sleep…It's already late. If you go to sleep then it'll be gone when you wake up."

I nodded slowly, "You're…right…"

I got up and changed clothes in the bathroom, getting into bed and sitting there. Cloud had been in the floor, looking through his bag for something, and then got on his side after turning the light out. I felt his eyes watching me as I stared at the window, wincing when another sound of thunder crashed.

I didn't realize it at first, but I was shaking violently…I hadn't been in a thunderstorm since I was ten or eleven. I'd had a total meltdown and started crying…it was just a mess. I stared at the window, trying to will myself not to cry…

Then Cloud had a hand on my arm, "Kat?"

I turned slowly, looking at him, "Y-Yes?"

He exhaled and pulled me into a hug, I stopped breathing for a second. When I realized he wasn't letting go, I relaxed, hugging him back, "Thanks…Cloud…"

It wasn't long after that when I fell asleep…

* * *

"Aren't they so cute!" Rosa whispered to Sarah, both girls had their heads inside Kat and Cloud's door, watching as their plan began to unfold.

Sarah nodded, "Now, all we have to do is get rid of Tseng…"

"And have Cloud make his move…" Rosa added.

Then they both said, "And it'll be perfect!"

Sephiroth was standing outside his and Rosa's room, shaking his head, "We really had no clue what we were getting into when we met you, did we?"

Rosa beamed at him as they shut the door, "Not even."

Sarah snickered, "We are a totally different ball game."

"So I've observed," Sephiroth said, a grin on his face.

Rosa went to Sephiroth and hugged him, Sarah only rolled her eyes, "Oh, go to your room!"

"Night, Sarah," the two chorused, then went into their room.

Sarah turned to her door, seeing Zack standing there. She smiled, "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Zack said, kissing her softly, "How about we go to bed?"

"Why, was there a hidden meaning in that question, Mr. Fair?" Sarah asked, grinning devilishly as she kissed him again.

Zack smirked, "There could be."

She rolled her eyes again and let him go, walking into their room, he followed her in and shut the door…acting just like a puppy.

* * *

Rosa shut the door behind her and then turned to Sephiroth, "Seph?"

He looked at her, "Yeah?"

"I have something I want to tell you," she said slowly, suddenly unsure of what Kat had told her, "…Um…Well…"

Sephiroth sat on the edge of their bed, his hands laced together as he looked up at her, "Yes?"

She turned, facing the door and then turned back to him, "Okay, so I was thinking while you, Kat, and Angeal were gone, and I realized we don't really have a 'relationship' status and then I seriously started thinking about us. Now I'm confused because I don't really know what _we_ are and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, but I don't want to sound like an idiot, which I think already did."

There was a long silence as the two stared at each other…

Then Sephiroth started laughing, a low chuckle rising into full blown laughter. Rosa turned red, crossing her arms, and saying, "How is this funny!"

"I-It's not," Sephiroth said, trying to control his laughter, "It's just…It's just the way you said it."

Rosa frowned deeply at him, but he sighed and walked over to her. He held her against him, his hand tilting her head back so she'd look at him as he spoke, "Rosa, you're the only person who can make me laugh like that…I thought it was pretty clear though that we were together."

"So…does that make me your girlfriend?" Rosa asked, arching an eyebrow.

Sephiroth rolled his green eyes, "Although it seems like a lacking word, considering how I feel about you…yes, I suppose that does make you my girlfriend."

A grin split across her face, "Holy crap. Sephiroth is my boyfriend."

He laughed, leaning close so his mouth hovered just over hers, "And by the way… I love you, too."

Rosa's grin widened even further and she kissed him…

* * *

I woke, slightly disoriented, when I opened my eyes and all I could see was black fabric. I twisted my head slightly, seeing sunshine pouring through the windows, and then looked up. Cloud's face was only inches from my own, his eyes closed and his breathing even…I smiled at the sight, I'd never seen Cloud so relaxed…

I sighed softly, closing my eyes and resting my head on his shoulder again. Things were good, calm…If I had any chance with Cloud then I had to deal with Tseng, and fast. Sarah was right, naturally, about Tseng. He wasn't good for me, in any way…but there was a still a part of me that didn't want to let him go…

I was going to have to kill that part of me…but how?

"Mm…"

I looked up at Cloud, his eyes open, and said, "Morning…"

He smiled back, "Morning."

It took us a few moments to sit up and separate, but once we had a certain tanned girl burst through the door, yelling, "I told him! Kat! I did what you told me to and it totally worked!"

I hugged her and she exclaimed, "I'm so happy!"

"I'm happy for you!" I replied back, a huge grin on my face.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room, toward the dinning room where everyone was. She sat me down in the chair between Genesis and Angeal, before sitting down in her own beside Zack and Sephiroth, "We're totally going riding today!"

I stared, "So…that was the reason you dragged me out here without letting me change?"

"Oops," Rosa said, leaning against Sephiroth's shoulder, "I got excited."

Zack snickered, Angeal turned to me, "So, we've only got two or three days left here…what are you going to do about all the paper work back at HQ?"

"Ugh! Don't even remind me of that!" I groaned, hands over my face.

Genesis threw an arm around my shoulders, "Dear Goddess, fear not! I shall help you in your dire time of need if you wish it so!"

I laughed, "Thanks, Gen."

Cloud joined us soon after and we all ate breakfast, then got changed, and ended up outside. The Choco family instructed us on how to ride again and then we were off, traveling toward the opposite direction of Junon. My Chocobo decided suddenly that it was going to run across the ocean about fifteen minutes in.

The Chocobo's charade ended with me being flung off and face planting into the water…and nearly drowning. So, completely soaked and humiliated, I was forced to ride back on Cloud's Chocobo with him, because mine _ran away_.

It was depressing.

Rosa and her Chocobo were both total _asses_ because they were doing victory laps around the rest of us.

Zack yelled at her, "Stop being a show off, Rosa, or I'll shank your Chocobo!"

"That's animal cruelty!" Rosa yelled back, "Sarah will dump you!"

Sarah shrugged, "It's true. I love you and all, but if you stab that bird…"

"Shoot…" Zack grumbled.

Cloud chuckled, "Nice try, Zack."

We rode around for a couple hours before heading back to the ranch. Everyone cleaned off and ate something for dinner, I went to my room to get my computer only to discover it was gone. I frowned, walking to the hallway where Sarah was leaving her room, "Hey. Have you seen my laptop?"

"No," Sarah replied, "Have you seen Rosa?"

"No…" I answered and then we looked at each other, blank looks on our faces and said, "That prat."

We ran down the hall, pushing Genesis out of our way as we ran out and onto the ranch. Sarah and I both looked around wildly, then she pointed at the barn, "It's the only place she could be!"

We ran over to the barn and looked inside, meeting in the middle after we'd looked in all the Chocobo stables. Sarah shook her head, "I can't find her anywhere…"

"Me either," I said, scratching the back of my head, "It's got me really confused. She's the only one that would take my laptop…"

I turned, looking around, when I heard it.

"Eheheheh…"

I turned back, looking at Sarah, "Stop that. It's creepy."

"What're you talking about?" Sarah asked, looking at me.

I went to look again and heard it once more, "Eheheheh…"

I stared at Sarah, "That's not funny."

"Kat, it wasn't me!" Sarah said, and then we both realized it, "Rosa!"

We listened to the weird, extremely creepy, laughing and followed it outside to the back of the barn where Rosa sat, giggling and reading something intently. Sarah looked at me, I put my hands on my hips and walked over to her, "ROSA!"

"Don't take it from me! I needs it!" Rosa hissed, hugging my laptop to her.

Sarah made a face, "What the hell are you looking at?"

"…A fan site," Rosa said, _way_ too innocently.

I made a hand gesture, "You and Zack have got to work on this whole 'innocent' thing, because you suck at it. Now, what were you _really_ doing?"

"Looking at a fan site of sorts…" Rosa trailed off when Sarah snatched the computer from her. Rosa wailed, "NO!"

Sarah shut my computer quickly and handed it to me, "You really don't want to know…"

I stared at Sarah, the older girl shrugged and said, "Fan site…for Sephiroth and Genesis."

I blinked, not understanding how this was a bad thing…and then, "What! That's…but…you're…What the hell, Rosa! This is my work computer! The company _monitors_ this thing! How explicit was this crap!"

Sarah gave me another look as Rosa sighed weirdly. I slammed my palm on my forehead and grumbled, "Awesome. I'm totally going to get called in for this…"

Sarah pulled Rosa to her feet and said, "Okay, freakazoid, let's go."

We all walked to the house and got ready for bed…

Our vacation was almost over, we only had two days left and then we went back to Midgar, Tseng, and all of the other complications in my life…

I just wanted to stay on that ranch with Sarah, Rosa, Cloud, and the others forever…

Guess life doesn't work out that way, huh?

* * *

**Three reviews is all it takes my dears, but try to hit more? Who knows? Maybe you'll get two chapters in one day if you send in enough reviews? :) We'll just have to find out won't we?**

**Review!**

**~Sarah~**


	13. Regret

**Heheh, you guys are awesome! So, naturally I'm giving you another chapter! Now, I have to warn you like I did before. This chapter and a few after involve all the gene nonsense where I wasn't thinking about the actual possibilities, so no flaming and telling me what is or isn't possible, okay? So, onto the reviews:**

**UnchainedMelody94, thank you so much for your reviews! Yes, when I started this story I didn't mean for the characters to get so OOC, but sometimes the story just goes where it wants. :) I have started reading your story and I really like it so expect a review from me soon! Again, thank you for your review!**

**ShatterTheHeavens, oh, don't worry, Sarah and Zack were just teasing. :) Nothing has happened behind _that_ closed door just yet! Lol! Yes, Sephiroth and Rosa are official and I've got a feeling that Rosa and Sarah are going to be even more persistent as far as Kat and Cloud are concerned...Thanks for your review!**

**Myloveispurity8, yes, I do try to keep my word and thank you for your praise! Unfortunately for Kat and the others the peace and quiet is about to end! Regardless, thank you for your review!**

**Axelxroxie, here, my dear! Another chapter to satisfy your need! Thanks for your review!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. I still don't own it.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Regret**

On the fourth day we all just walked around or rode Chocobos. I was one of the few that walked, unwilling to get back on a Chocobo.

Cloud and Seph walked with me, all of us grinning and laughing at the others that all decided to go on Chocobo. Genesis was stuck with the Chocobo Sephiroth usually got and it decided it hated Gen more than Seph. We learned this after the bird turned around and pecked Gen in the face.

The day went by way too quickly for my liking…I felt like we were all normal for once…

It was a feeling I'd never experienced before.

* * *

I inhaled deeply when I woke up that last morning on the ranch. It was the last morning I'd share that room with Cloud…the last night, that I knew of, that Cloud would hold me…

I didn't want to move…I wanted to stay where I was and never go back…because I knew in my heart that the moment we were all back in Midgar…things would become strained again. The job would get in the way, Tseng would be back in my face again, and all the other things…

I closed my eyes and rested my head on Cloud's shoulder, sighing softly, completely content…

He moved slightly, but I remained still, and then he murmured quietly, "You know those guys have got like ESP when it comes to you…They're going to barge in at any moment…"

"Yeah…" I answered just as quietly, "…but let's just…stay like this until they do."

He nodded, "Okay…"

I tried to go back to sleep, but my mind was already racing. I exhaled, "I don't want to go back, you know…"

"I feel the same way," Cloud murmured, his hold on me tightening just a little, "Things…are going to get complicated again…aren't they?"

I turned my head slightly, my forehead against his neck, "Yeah…probably."

He sighed heavily, "…This sucks."

"Mm…" I grumbled, upset with myself because _I _was the one putting a roadblock in between us. An evil roadblock called Tseng...

Cloud suddenly looked down at me, "…Kat…He's done nothing but hurt and break promises to you…but…when you're ready to be free of him…I'll be here. I'll be waiting on you, Kat."

I felt my mouth open slightly as I went to say something, but nothing came out. I stared at him, feeling my heart tie itself into knots as I said softly, "…You don't want to go down this path, Cloud. I'm damaged, at best, and…I can't guarantee you anything… You'd do best without me…"

Cloud shook his head, "…I stand by what I said. I'll be here when you need me."

I smiled sadly and nodded, my forehead against his neck again, "Thank you… Cloud."

"Mm…" He answered, turning his head so his chin rested on my head slightly, "No need to thank me…"

I went to say something else when I heard stampeding feet on the wooden floor, I untangled myself from Cloud's grasp and sat up just as the door flung open. Rosa stood there, tossing her head back as she cackled, "We are returning home at last!"

I smiled brilliantly, "Cool! Go pack! We'll be out there as soon as we're packed."

"Okay!" Rosa said, slamming the door closed behind her.

The moment she was gone my face fell, Cloud sat up and patted my leg, "Hey… It's okay, Kat. Look at me."

I obeyed without a fight for once, looking up and into his Mako colored eyes as he said, "One day you'll have this all figured out…and then you'll be able to smile for real. I promise you that."

I laughed softly, putting my hand on his, "Thank you, Cloud."

He smiled, "Of course."

We both moved around, packing, each alternating as we ran to the bathroom to get changed. I was in my blue jeans for once and a long sleeved black v-neck, my SOLDIER necklace on, and I threw my bag over my shoulder, "Cloud?"

He pulled on his shoes and grabbed his bag, "Let's go?"

I nodded and we walked outside, seeing the helicopters far off in the empty field as the others all headed that way. I turned and looked back at the ranch before I got on the helicopter, then something came over me. I stared at the ranch a long time and then the thought presented itself, _'I'll…never be able to come back here…'_

It took me a moment before I realized what I'd thought, _'Where'd that come from?'_

I shook my head and got on the helicopter…

Midgar was just around the corner.

* * *

We'd been back a couple hours when Lazard called us into his office. The blond man looked at us and said, "It's fixing to be February, you all, and the President wants to hold a Valentine's Day Celebration in the building again. You all know what the means…so please follow protocol and attend, unfortunately I will not be there, but I trust you will represent us in the best way."

"Why won't you be there?" Sarah asked.

"I have lots of work to catch up on," Lazard replied.

We all agreed and left, Sarah looked at me, "That's in less than two weeks. You know, I-"

I turned to see what was wrong and she was falling backwards, I went to grab at her, but Zack caught her instead. She clutched her head and hissed in agony, Rosa was murmuring, "Oh no…"

I closed the gap between Zack, Sarah, and I in one stride. I grasped her hands, trying to pull them from her face, "Sarah! Look at me! C'mon, don't do this to me now!"

Zack's eyes were huge, many of the others were staring in confusion, Rosa was staring with fear in her eyes. I pulled her hands from her face, her eyes were wide and staring blankly as I grasped her face, "Sarah! You have to breathe! Look at me, Sarah! Look at me now, damn it!"

Then she slumped forward, right into me, but I was prepared and caught her. She was out, I looked at Zack, "I need your help. We've got to take her to the infirmary now."

He nodded, following my instructions as he and I got into the elevator. I looked at Rosa as the doors began closing, "Explain to them what's going on. I'll tell Zack."

"Gotcha, Kat," Rosa whispered, staring at Sarah.

The doors shut and I turned, looking at Sarah as Zack held her bridal style. I put a hand on her forehead and looked at Zack, "She didn't tell you yet…"

"Tell me what?" Zack asked, his face tense.

I sighed, "Sarah…has these headaches…but they're more than that."

Zack stared at Sarah, "…Tell me."

* * *

Rosa turned, her hands moving around as she explained, "Sarah has these headaches sometimes…There are times where they're just headaches…and other times they're like violent seizures or something…She hasn't had one in months…We thought it was over…"

Rosa shook her head, "No one in Wutai could figure it out…What if it's a disease or something? What if she doesn't wake up…?"

Sephiroth put a hand on Rosa's shoulder, "Sarah will be fine. She's strong and she's got you, Kat, Zack, and the rest of us behind her."

Angeal nodded, "Seph is right. Sarah will pull through this, no problem."

Cloud turned, "I'm worried though. Let's go check on them."

Everyone agreed and headed that way…

* * *

I sat beside Zack, both of us in chairs while doctors stood around Sarah and looked at monitors. Zack had both hands on his knees, looking like he was about to break his fingers. I reached over and took one of his hands in both of mine, causing him to look at me. I nodded with a small smile, "She'll be okay…She just…It takes time for her to recover."

"How…Kat, how often does this happen?" Zack whispered, his eyes returning to Sarah.

I watched as doctors took blood, Sarah would've been screaming if she was awake…She hated having blood drawn. I let my eyes drop slightly, "…It _was_ happening every two or three days before we came to Midgar. I thought maybe…" Zack looked at me as I laughed quietly, "…I thought maybe you'd somehow cured her…Guess I was wrong…"

Zack's hand was in mine still, almost like we were holding on for dear life and that would wake Sarah up somehow. One doctor turned to us as the other began filing out, Zack and I both stood. The doctor introduced himself, "I'm Professor Gast, I deal with SOLDIER injuries within the body."

He shook Zack's hand and then mine, "What I've discovered is that the Mako injections from when Sarah was made into a SOLDIER have multiplied. There are more Mako cells than JENOVA cells. This is what is triggering these attacks, the Mako cells are attacking the alien JENOVA cells. I haven't seen this in a SOLDIER before."

Gast looked at me, "I'm going to run this blood through testing and see what I can find. Since you are her General and superior I will need you to stay here, in case we find something that will lead to a solution."

I nodded, "Of course. How soon will you have results?"

"Ten, twenty minutes tops," Gast said, "I'll run this now."

He left and then the door opened, I stood at Sarah's bedside while Zack went outside. He was telling the others, who had arrived somewhere in the middle of the explanation, what Gast had said…I ran a hand through Sarah's hair, shaking my head, "You're supposed to be my big sister, Sarah…You can't let this get you…Wake up, show us who is boss…"

She only slept on.

The others slowly trickled in, Rosa sat on the bed with tears on her face, "She's going to wake up…She has to…"

I was grasping one of Sarah's hands, "I know she will."

I looked up for some reason, looking at the door and saw Tseng as he came to a halt outside the door. I left the room, closing the door behind me, and turning to Tseng. He looked at me, not sure what to do, "…What happened to her…?"

"She had another attack," I whispered, realizing how close I was to tears, "…It's bad…Tseng, it's really bad…"

He hugged me, and I couldn't resist for some reason. I sighed heavily, "I'm scared, Tseng…"

"Sarah's a tough chick," Tseng said softly, hugging me hard, "She'll pull through. After all, she's got to kick my ass, remember?"

I sniffled, surprising myself, and then Cloud cleared his throat from behind us. I tore myself from Tseng, realizing what I'd let happen. I looked at Tseng, almost darkly, and then turned to Cloud, "Sorry…I had a moment."

Cloud only glared at Tseng, then he looked at me, "Rosa needs you, Kat."

I nodded and let him close the door behind me, leaving himself out in the hall with Tseng. For some reason I didn't think twice about it.

I should have.

* * *

"What the hell are you playing at?" Cloud snapped at Tseng, arms crossed and a dark look on his face, "You don't even _like_ Sarah! So why the hell are you here?"

"I'm here for Kat," Tseng replied, looking at Cloud coldly, "And that is none of your business."

"Kat doesn't love you anymore, Tseng, and she's made that pretty clear," Cloud growled, "So get away and stay away."

"You've known Kat and these girls for what? Three, maybe four months? How the hell could you know more about them than I do?" Tseng said, anger flashing across his face, "I was around these girls for _years_. I know all about these episodes-I was the one who used to carry Sarah back to the infirmary when she collapsed! I was there!"

Cloud's eyes turned icy, "You're messing with her head."

"Kat is simply not thinking straight. Once she sees that I've changed then she will take me back. There will be no more need for this charade you're playing with her, Cloud," Tseng said as he turned, his back to Cloud, "I will have her. She _is_ mine."

Something snapped in Cloud's brain then, he was certain of it after wards, because one moment he was standing outside the door and then next his fist was in Tseng's face. Tseng dodged Cloud's fist, grabbing his arm and trying to twist it behind him, but Cloud was slightly quicker and managed to get his other hand around to hit the Turk in the gut.

Tseng went down hard, unable to breathe, but he got back up and swung at Cloud. He made contact right under Cloud's eye, but Cloud's retaliation blow _did_ hit Tseng in the eye.

The usually composed Director of the Turks roared, "Come on you, bastard! I want to see you take her from me!"

Cloud and Tseng traded blows and then it happened, the door flung open and Kat stood there…both men froze…

Both were sure their lives were over.

* * *

"What the fuck are you doing!" I hissed, surprising myself when the words slipped out, "Sarah is in here resting! Get out! Both of you!"

I went to shut the door when Professor Gast came, nearly running, down the hall a dark look on his face. The doctor looked at the two men and then me, "Miss Davis, there is a cure for your friend…but I'm fairly sure that it doesn't exist any longer."

"What is it?" I asked, desperate.

"…A pure JENOVA gene," Gast said, shaking his head, "I'm sure that hasn't existed since they found JENOVA years ago…"

I tried to swallow, my mouth had gone dry, "…What would happen to that subject if I knew where a JENOVA gene could be found?"

"Judging by the lack of cells in Sarah's bloodstream?" Gast asked, then sighed, "I'd say it'd take days for a subject to recover, _if_ they recovered. The removal of a JENOVA gene is fatal in nine out of ten cases. Why? Do you know where one could be found?"

I looked at Tseng and then Cloud, both staring at me in terror as I admitted it, "Yeah…I carry the last pure JENOVA gene…"

Gast looked surprised, "You? Then you were Hojo's success experiment?"

I nodded slowly, "Yes."

"…I guess the question now is this…" Gast said, looking uncomfortable with the question, "…Are you willing to give up your life for a friend's? Will you do it?"

There was no hesitation in my answer, "I'll do it."

Cloud shook his head, "Kat! Think this through! Talk to the others before you decide this!"

Tseng was in agreement with Cloud for once, "Kat, he's right. Talk to Rosa or one of the others before you do this!"

I shook my head slowly, "I can't burden Rosa or Zack with this. The choice will be impossible for them, Genesis and Sephiroth will want what Rosa wants…I know what Sarah would want me to do…but I can't. I have to do this."

I looked at Gast, "Let's go."

He nodded and led me down the hall, away from the two men and my friends.

After I'd signed the paperwork the nurses and professors got me ready for surgery, I sat in a room all alone…Waiting…and just as we were about to go in to the operating room it hit me hard:

I was probably going to die.

* * *

**Review if you want a chapter tomorrow? Three is all it takes, but make it more? :)**

**~Sarah~**


	14. Everything Comes Undone

**Wow! I didn't realize how many people liked Kat! :) Thanks for the support and all the reviews! I would have updated yesterday, but unfortunately my family decided to be computer hogs yesterday and wouldn't let me on despite how much I whined! I hope you'll forgive me! More of the gene nonsense is here, so like I said before, be nice. So, on to reviews:**

**Aliasmidnight, thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I think Kat might just pull through this with all the support you guys have given her! Thanks for your review and I hope you decide to review again! **

**Axelxroxie, yes, I'd do the same for my best friends and I hope they know that! Hopefully Kat will pull through so she can attend the Valentine's Dance! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Myloveispurity8, yep! Cloud got yelled at and I think he and Tseng both kind of deserved it, no? Sarah and Kat are pretty strong, so I think they're going to pull through, but as we've seen so far, anything can happen in Midgar! Thanks for reviewing!**

**LoreilDarksky00, thank you so much for reviewing and your words of praise! I'm glad so many people seem to think this story is great and well written! Anyway, let's hope Kat gets out of this okay, right? Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it...but I do own a pretty cool FFVII watch now! :) It's not the same, but...**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Everything Comes Undone**

"She did _what_!" Rosa yelled when Cloud entered the room again and had explained everything, "She's…Kat…No! No! The doctor, he said there's a chance they'll both pull through, right?"

Cloud nodded, "Yeah, but he said it's a one in a hundred chance or something…I tried to stop her…"

Rosa had her hands over her face, "No…you did the best you could….When it comes to Sarah and I…Kat becomes invincible all of a sudden. Nothing can stop her. The moment that doctor said Kat could help…it was over…"

Zack stared at Sarah, the young woman slept on, and then murmured, "Why now…? Why did this have to happen?"

Genesis shook his head, "Maybe…it's a test or something. To see how strong our friendship is…I don't know. This sucks though. They're telling us there's a fifty-fifty chance that one of them is going to die? I don't believe it!"

A doctor suddenly walked in, she was kind faced as she smiled, "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to take Miss Neil in now."

They all cleared out of the room as several people in white coats rolled the bed out of the room and down the hall…

Rosa suddenly wiped at her eyes, "…They'll be okay…both of them…They have to be…"

Cloud and Zack both nodded, "Yeah."

* * *

I wasn't scared, I realized that after Gast had come in and told me that they were getting Sarah ready and soon I'd have to be sedated. I closed my eyes, sitting in the bright room, and realized I only had one regret…

Cloud.

I'd never get to sort things out and see what we'd become…if we could become anything…I shook my head, no, Gast had said there was a chance we'd both be okay. I had to stay positive. We'd beaten the odds before, all of us.

I mean, we _were_ female SOLDIERs, who would've thought we'd get in?

The doctors were suddenly in the room, several ushering me onto the gurney that had been across the room. It took almost a minute after they'd hooked me up to an IV and then I was out…

I didn't know then if I would ever awaken…

* * *

"What!" Zack roared into his cell phone, "We can't go right now! Sarah and Kat…they're not….!"

Sephiroth frowned deeply, he was also on the line listening to the conversation. Rosa gave him a look and Sephiroth murmured, "Lazard needs all of us to go on a mission right now…"

"But-!" Rosa started, Sephiroth shook his head and pointed at Zack.

Zack was angry, "And if I don't?"

There was a loud sound on the other end of the phone that made everyone look at Sephiroth. The silver haired man sighed and looked at the others, "Guys, we don't have a choice. The President is calling us out, if we try to resist they'll probably stop the operation."

"Damn it!" Zack cursed angrily, "I can't just…_leave_ them!"

"If we stay then we risk them both," Angeal said quietly.

Zack had a furious look on his face as Rosa had a hand on his arm, "It's all we can do for them. Even if we were here…they're not going to wake up for a while, right? I know how you feel, Zack…but we're better off somewhere else, I think."

Zack growled under his breath angrily and stormed off toward the elevators. Rosa shook her head, but Cloud put his hand on her shoulder, "I understand where you're coming from. Zack's just…"

"He's upset," Angeal said, moving to follow the raven haired man, "We all are, but he's acting out like…"

Genesis walked after Angeal, "Like a puppy."

Rosa sighed, Sephiroth and Cloud led her to the elevators, together they all rode to Lazard's floor. The young Director looked stressed, worried, and unhappy, "I'm sorry to call you all out at a time like this, but the President wants you all to go investigate the Northern Crater. He wants to see if there is any Mako there, if so you're to report immediately and a Mako Reactor will be built there. Questions?"

Zack walked off, not even answering, Angeal only said, "Yeah…We got it."

The group set off for the helicopters, all in silence as they thought of what was happening just floors below them…

* * *

I think I had a dream…a dream about the past.

_Sarah stared at me after our parents had been buried, she glared openly at me, 'Where were you when the Wutai troops showed up! You said you'd be there...and you weren't…Now look what's __happened!'_

_I shook my head, only saying, '_W_here do I go from here...and how I do fix things?'_

_Sarah only stared at me, a shocked look on her face, 'K-Kat…'_

_'If it was my fault for going out and not being there when it happened…then so be it. I'll take anything you want to throw at me. Anger, sorrow, guilt, blame, whatever! I know things might have turned out different if I'd been there, but I wasn't!' I said back, a numb feeling in my bones, 'I'm sorry…and I can't change that…Now you, Rosa, and I have no parents…if that blame goes to me then that's fine. I'll take it…You can hate me all you want…but know this! No matter what, I'll do my best to protect you and Rosa! I won't let you die on my watch! Never!'_

_Sarah looked surprised, '…Same goes for you.'_

_I nodded, '…Yeah…'_

* * *

It was a one day trip to the Northern Continent. Zack was the first one on the site, "The sooner we get this crap over with the sooner we can get back to the girls…"

Rosa nodded, jumping off the helicopter and checking her gun, "Yup! So, let's get this Mako show on the road!"

Genesis agreed, "It takes hours to complete their operation anyway. They may still be in there when we get back."

Angeal sighed in irritation, "I don't see why we had to go today of all days though…It's rather irritating."

"What Angeal means," Sephiroth grumbled as he walked over to the others that were standing on the Northern Crater's edge, "is that it's fucking pisses him off!"

Angeal shrugged, "I felt that it was better said the other way."

"I think Sephiroth's way is better," Rosa and Zack said together.

Cloud shook his head, "Let's find the Mako."

The group searched, going deeper and deeper into the mountain and finding minimal traces of Mako. They eventually had to split up because there were two different paths. Sephiroth, Rosa, and Zack went right and Angeal, Genesis, and Cloud went left. In the end both paths met back up and then they saw it-The Lifestream.

It took them nearly three hours getting down to it, but once they arrived they all stared at it openly, almost unable to believe what they were seeing.

Angeal shook his head, "This is the core of Mako…Look at it all!"

Genesis frowned, "I know we're supposed to report it if we find anything, but…If we report this…the completely vulnerable Lifestream…"

"It'll be total world domination," Sephiroth said quietly.

Rosa frowned, "What do we do then? Lie?"

There was a silence, agreement rang throughout it, and they simply looked at the Lifestream in awe. Rosa smiled slightly, "I've seen something like this before…in Mideel."

Angeal and Genesis both looked surprised, "You've been to Mideel?"

She nodded, "Yeah, we were all born in Banora. We didn't live there long before everything went down, but I remember on the visits to Mideel I would see this."

Angeal stared, "You were all born in Banora, too?"

Rosa nodded again, "Yeah, why?"

Genesis chuckled slightly, "Because we grew up in Banora, Angeal and I."

She stared back at them, "No way!"

Zack stared blankly, not really caring, "…If we're not going to tell them anything…can we just go?"

Cloud nodded, arms crossed, "I agree. We've blown at least two or three hours getting down here. It's going to take just as long getting back, if not longer, and the extra day to just get back to Midgar."

Rosa bounced on the toes of her feet, "But what about the Lifestream and the Mako?"

Sephiroth turned his back to the stream of Mako, "Unimportant. We say nothing."

Rosa nodded, throwing a fist in the air, "Yeah! Let's go!"

And so the trek back began…

* * *

I had a dream that I was in Rocket Town…

_I smiled, walking out into the middle of town with Rosa and Sarah trailing behind a couple yards. Then I looked over my shoulder, still walking, and hit someone hard. I expected to hit the ground, but instead there were hands on my arms. I looked up in surprise, 'S-Sorry…'_

_A young man with short hair pulled back into a ponytail looked at me with dark eyes, he was in a business suit and had a mark on his forehead…He was kind of gorgeous. I blushed slightly as he said, 'No problem at all, really…'_

_I bit my lip as we stared at one another and then he cleared his throat, 'Where are my manners? I'm Tseng of the Turks.'_

_I smiled slightly, 'No last name?'_

_Tseng smirked, 'It's a long story. I pick and choose last names as I deem necessary. Might I know the name of the young woman I nearly trampled?'_

_I laughed, 'I'm Sarah Davis, but everyone calls me Kat instead.'_

_Tseng made a face, 'Why Kat?'_

_'It's my middle name shortened, Kathleen. I use Kat to avoid confusion with one of my best friends, Sarah,' I explained, like I'd known him my whole life._

_He nodded with an 'ah' expression on his handsome face, 'I see. So, are you residents here? I haven't seen you around.'_

_'No, we work for Shin-Ra. Just got our 1st Class statuses as SOLDIERs,' I said proudly, and his mouth dropped open._

_'You're the SOLDIERs we're supposed to meet? My boss said we wouldn't recognize you,' Tseng said, laughing quietly, releasing my arms only to offer a hand, 'We're supposed to be partners on this trip.'_

_I smiled at him, shaking his hand, 'I'm sure it'll be a mission to remember.'_

_Tseng only beamed at me, 'I surely hope so…'_

Suddenly, I was yanked from my dream and thrown into blackness…

Then I stopped feeling all together.

* * *

Rosa bounced up and down in her seat on the second day back, "Do you think they'll be awake when we get there?"

"You're being too optimistic," Sephiroth warned.

"You're being too pessimistic!" Rosa said, scowling at him, "They're both going to be okay. They're the strongest people I know!"

Genesis frowned, "…Rosa, only four or five people have ever survived this operation and they've attempted it over a hundred times…Seph is right…We'll be lucky if we get one of them out, let alone both."

Rosa looked at them both, "…Why is this surgery so dangerous?"

"Because, the JENOVA gene is particular to each and every person," Sephiroth answered in a monotone voice, "…It has to be a one hundred percent match or the subject receiving the gene dies. The one donating has to have just enough of the JENOVA gene left or they die as well. It has to be a perfect operation or else. It's pure luck…"

Rosa looked worried, turning to stare out the window and seeing nothing but ocean and shapes in the horizon, "…They're in really big trouble aren't they…?"

Sephiroth frowned at himself and then turned to her, "But…you're right, Rosa. They're strong. Maybe I am being too pessimistic…"

Rosa sighed heavily, "No…maybe you're right…but I have to believe in them. They're my sisters…I don't know what I'd do without them…"

The rest of the ride remained in silence…

* * *

When the group returned they were forced to go straight to the President's office to give their report. Lazard and the President both stood and drilled them on everything, they kept the secret of the Lifestream though. Zack went straight to the infirmary, skipping the meeting all together-no one mentioned it though. The moment Lazard dismissed them they all ran at breakneck speed, racing to get to the elevators-they were about an hour behind Zack.

Once they got to the actual floor, a woman at the reception desk merely waved her hand in a direction, "Your friend said you'd be here soon. He's supposed to be speaking to Professor Gast."

Rosa led the boys as she walked quickly, each looking in all of the opened doors to patient's rooms. They were almost at the end of their second hallway when they saw one exceptionally large room with two beds in it-Kat and Sarah in them.

Zack was sitting in the small space between the two beds, a hand on each girl's arm as Professor Gast stood with his back to them talking to Zack. Zack's stressed face was calm and relaxed, "Thank you, Professor."

"Of course," Gast said, turning to leave, but he smiled as he saw the others in the doorway, "It seems these two girls are extremely loved."

Rosa beamed, "Yeah, they are."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then," Gast replied with nod as he left.

The others squeezed themselves into the room, Zack released Kat's arm and handed her limp hand to Cloud. The blonde's face was tinged with pink, but he didn't refused, only squeezing her hand and said, "What did he say…?"

"He said they're observing right now," Zack answered, "…They've done well so far, but neither has woken yet. Not even once…and that could be a bad sign, but their vitals are both great…"

Everyone seemed to suddenly relax all at once. They were okay for that moment… and things were looking good. Sephiroth nudged Rosa with his elbow, a small smile on his face, "See? I told you I was over thinking things."

"No…you weren't, but I had to believe it. I had to think they would pull through," Rosa suddenly laughed, "Besides, they may have crappy luck, but when it comes right down to it they always beat the odds. That's just the way Kat and Sarah are…stubborn till the end…"

Sephiroth had an arm around her shoulders, hugging her against him. Genesis only smiled and Angeal exhaled, "Thank the Goddess for that, huh?"

A few of them chuckled at the comment, but with the immediate danger out of the way they were slowly deciding to leave. Genesis was the first to go, Angeal soon after. Rosa looked at Zack, "What happens when they wake up?"

"Tests, I guess. They have to make sure the genes are working the way they're supposed to and all that. Gast said if everything is all right then they'll probably separate them, give them different rooms, but that they'd both be here for a while. A month, maybe less," Zack replied, scratching the back of his head, "It sucks…but at least they're still with us."

Cloud nodded, "Truer words have never been spoken."

Rosa waved and said, "Call us if anything changes?"

Zack nodded, "I will."

Sephiroth and Rosa left then, both giving the girls one last look of relief. It was nearing midnight when a nurse entered the room and politely said, "I'm sorry, sirs, but visiting hours are over. You're going to have to leave now."

Cloud looked down at each of the girls and then Zack, the raven haired man sighed and patted Cloud on the shoulder, "Let's go then…"

The nurse smiled, "You can come back in the morning. Visiting hours start at eight."

The men nodded and reluctantly left with the nurse…

All was quiet in the infirmary…until the machines attached to Kat suddenly started going off.

* * *

I had a third dream…this time I didn't know where I was…

_I looked around, confused. There was a bright light engulfing the area, it hurt my eyes as I tried __to look at what lay beyond it. Finally I gave up and simply started walking. Surely there was a way out, I walked away from the light…I remembered a joke Rosa had told me years ago about if I dreamt of a light like that then I should run as fast as I could or else…_

_Was I dead?_

_I felt the frown on my face, something was pulling at my chest, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I just knew it felt uncomfortable and I wanted it to stop _now_._

_There was a flash before my eyes, I blinked again and I saw a woman standing before me with a stern look on her face, "And where do you think you're going, Sarah Kathleen?"_

_I blinked, staring at her. She was a little taller than me, her eyes were the same green as my own, and she had long bronze hair. I inhaled sharply as I stared at her, Elaine Davis…my mother. She had a deep frown on her face as she crossed her arms, "So? What do you think you're doing?"_

_"I…don't know…" I said, confused, unable to think of how I even got there, "…I was trying…to do something important…"_

_"Well, you're not going to succeed if you're dying," my mother snapped at me, her emerald eyes blazed with anger, "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of the girls, Sarah? Oh, that's right, you're Kat now, aren't you?"_

_I looked at my hands, "…Yes, I am. I'm Kat now…I'm supposed to take care of them…"_

_"Well then, Kat of SOLDIER, care taker of Rosa and Sarah," Elaine said, her face softening to a familiar smirk, "What are you doing here? They're about to give up on you!"_

_I exhaled, meeting her gaze one last time, "I'm sorry."_

_"It wasn't your fault, Kat," she answered, beginning to fade away, "…Never think that…You were little then…You couldn't have saved us…"_

_And then…she was gone._

* * *

"She's flat lining! Shock her again!" One of the doctors yelled, having one of the nurses nearby do just that, "No good! Do it again!"

Three minutes went by as they tried to resuscitate Kat, but their efforts were failing them. The Mako was attacking the JENOVA gene that was left over, her immune system would fail, and then it would be over…

"Once more!" Gast hollered in the panic, but suddenly the heart monitor made a glorious sound-it beeped six or seven times loudly and then evened out to a steady rhythm.

All the doctors and nurses stared, watching the monitor with hope and it remained constant, strong. Gast stood there, checking the machines and vitals several times before dismissing everyone else. He remained in the room, feeling responsible for the two women in the room…He only wished he'd been able to save his daughter, Aerith, and these two girls reminded him so much of Aerith…

Gast shook his head, shaking away the old, haunting memories. He'd been sitting in the room nearly an hour when something scared him out of his wits. A calm, yet shaky voice murmured from his left, "…Who are you…?"

He jumped, turning wildly to face the pale looking woman in the opposite bed. Her dark hair was messy, her dark eyes confused, and she looked disoriented, "What happened?"

Gast turned to Sarah, "You had an attack of sorts. Your friends brought you here. You've been asleep for quite awhile."

Sarah looked at him, frowning, "…Why do I feel weird…?"

"We had to perform a rather serious operation on the two of you in order to save your life, my dear," Gast said, answering her question.

"Two of us?" Sarah asked.

He nodded, "Your team leader, Kathleen. She was the only one who was able to help you…she just had a bit of an episode earlier. We almost lost her, but she's strong. I think she'll make it through."

Sarah's face instantly transformed into one of rage, "What did she _do_!"

Gast explained everything that he knew, starting from the attack to the operation and lastly the hour before. Sarah's face paled as she realized how close to death she'd been and how close Kat had put herself as well. Sarah looked at Gast when he was done, "How soon will we be able to leave…?"

"At best, a month. Possibly more," Gast answered, then he smiled secretively, "The President had been informed of your statuses and is postponing his party for Valentine's Day so you two can attend. He thinks very highly of the women that saved his life all those years ago…"

Sarah sighed, "You know…we wouldn't have even been there that day if it hadn't been for Kat…"

Gast smiled, standing and patting Sarah's shoulder gently, "Don't move too much or the stitches along your chest will open. Right now you're probably at a state where you can begin recovery. If Kathleen's monitors begin going off or there is a problem, please page a nurse with the controller on your bed's panel."

Sarah nodded, "Thanks, Professor…"

Gast smiled, "No problem, Sarah. Just live and I think you'll do just fine."

The man left, leaving Sarah puzzled with his final statement. Sarah watched as he closed the door and she sat with her bed's lamp on, just dim enough that it wouldn't bother the other woman, but enough so that she could see her friend.

She looked bad.

Kat looked sicker than Sarah thought possible. She'd always been pale, but now it looked like death had taken a hold of her and was refusing to let go. Her bronze hair was flat, tangled against her face, and her breathing was shallow. The only reason Sarah could tell Kat wasn't gone was because of the heart monitor that was beeping steadily.

The older woman exhaled heavily, shaking her head, "Kat…I swear you've got a death wish sometimes…"

Sarah sat in her bed, awake, for a long time…

She was suddenly realizing how much Kat must care about her and Rosa…Sarah shook her head, "Idiot…I'm not worth it…"

Sarah was thankful Kat wasn't awake, because she knew she would've been scolded. Because, as Kat put it, no matter what Sarah thought…Kat thought she was worth it. They were family, sisters, and they all had to look out for each other.

After all, they'd made a promise to take care of one another…

Sarah would never forget it.

* * *

**So, it _looks_ like Kat and Sarah are out of the woods...but that means the Valentine's Ball is right around the corner and we all know how much the girls _love_ dresses! :)**

**Review and the next chapter will be out tomorrow! I promise this time! Three is all it takes, but you might get it sooner if I see five or six reviews! :)**

**Review!**

**~Sarah~**


	15. Revival

**So, I can't believe this is almost over. There's only eight or nine chapters left, and then I have to kick it into gear so I can finish the sequel to this story, 'Hero'. But, that's a bit of the ways off, so I'm going to address this—there's at least fourteen people who have this on their favorites and eleven on the alert list. So...even though I'm only asking for three reviews, can we do a bit better? :) Maybe? **

**To the reviews:**

**Myloveispurity8, yep, Kat almost died, but she's a fighter! Regarding Aerith, I don't think there'll be a miraculous appearance by her because I really can't decide if I like her as a character or not. But anyway, thanks for reviewing again!**

**UnchainedMelody94, yes, the girls are all right and at least one of them should remain all right for a little while! :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**ShatterTheHeavens, the party is going to be a bit of a sore spot I believe, but I've got a feeling that Tseng is going to make an, excuse me for my language, ass of himself before or during that time. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: No, no, and no. If I owned it I would definitely remake FF7 with better graphics so it could be ten times as awesome as before.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Revival**

I opened my eyes suddenly, feeling air rushing through my lungs had never felt better than in that moment. I stared at the white ceiling, which was darkened slightly, because there wasn't an actual light on…but there _was_ light coming from somewhere. I turned my head slightly as I exhaled, a weak smile touched my lips as I saw Sarah sitting up in bed, watching me, "Morning, sunshine…"

Her stare instantly turned into a glare, "You're an idiot! You know that, right?"

I winced as I sat up, I could _feel_ the stitches on my chest, running down to my stomach, "Hey, shut up, would you? I saved your life, so ease up on the nagging?"

Our hospital beds were close enough that she could punch me in the arm, which she did, with a sorrowful look, "What would have happened if you had died!"

I shrugged, rubbing my arm where she'd hit me, "Then at least you had a chance…I made a promise to you, Sarah. That I wouldn't let you die on my watch…I meant it and I intend to keep that promise."

Her eyes seemed tear up, but she only shook her head, murmuring, "Idiot…"

I smirked lazily, "Whatever."

We sat in the dim light and relaxed, both of us were alive tell the tale and we weren't going anywhere…

Not for a while at least…

* * *

"Oh my Goddess! They're awake!" Rosa nearly _screamed_ as morning came around and visiting hours began.

Sarah and I both had to hold her at arms length. Sarah explained when Rosa looked hurt at our response, "Stitches. They open and we're screwed."

Rosa made an 'ah' sound and then carefully hugged us, tears on her face, "You morons, I thought you were both dead…!"

I chuckled as Sarah rolled her eyes, "You should know by now that we aren't leaving you behind."

"Yeah," I said, making a hand gesture, "If we left you alone you'd probably get yourself killed."

Sephiroth leaned against the door frame, "I'm so glad you two have so much faith in me and my ability to protect her."

We both chuckled lightly, but Rosa stared at Sarah and then me, "You both look like you just rose from the grave!"

"I feel like it," Sarah said, yawning, leaning against her tower of pillows.

I snickered quietly, "When are they moving us?"

Zack entered the room and walked over to Sarah, kissing her, "Soon. Within the hour, I think."

He ran a hand through Sarah's hair, she smiled up at him, and then Rosa snorted, "Oh my Goddess! This is so funny! If you scratch Sarah's head she falls asleep!"

Zack arched an eyebrow and scratched her behind the ears. Sarah got a weird expression on her face suddenly, causing Rosa and I to snort with laughter as Sephiroth stared. Her head started drooping the longer he scratched, her eyes closing and her mouth hanging open slightly.

We roared in laughter, Zack snickered as he stopped. Sarah's head popped back up, "You asses!"

Cloud came into the room, "Morning, everyone."

"Morning!" Everyone said, although they were scattered.

"So, where are you all going?" I asked.

"Patrol," Zack answered, "The President doesn't want us going on missions again until we have you two back."

"Lazard's also coming to talk to you about something, but he didn't say when," Sephiroth added, looking at me, "He wouldn't say what about though."

Cloud shrugged, "I'm hearing rumors that they're rebuilding the Wutai base, only it's going to be kind of like a second HQ. It's going to be a huge building where they're going to actually train a second SOLDIER army."

I arched my eyebrows, "Really?"

Sarah wagged her finger at me, "Don't even think about it."

I chuckled, "No way! I can't go back to Wutai right now!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Rosa crowed happily, but then the alarm on her phone went off, "Oh, hell! We're supposed to be patrolling Sector 5! Let's go, Seph."

They bid us farewell and left the other two boys with us. Cloud sat next to my bed in a chair, "So, how are you _really_ feeling?"

"Are you just saying that because I look like hell?" I asked him, tilting my head.

He smiled, "Never. You just look like you don't feel well."

I rolled my eyes, "I nearly died this morning, I think I'm entitled to looking like I feel like I was run over with a truck."

Cloud frowned as Zack turned, both men saying, "What are you talking about?"

I grimaced as Sarah explained, a dark look on her face, and then Zack stared at me, "You freaking flat lined and you didn't _tell_ anyone!"

I shrugged, "Wasn't important. I'm here now, right?"

Zack and Cloud couldn't find a reason to argue, so I just nodded, crossing my arms, "See?"

Soon after that the two boys reluctantly left and then we were separated, moved into actual rooms, but they were conjoined. Only the door on the left side of the room connected me to Sarah, but at least it was some privacy…

The moment I thought that and relaxed against my pillows, however, my door opened and shut loudly. I looked up, eyebrows arched angrily as I opened my eyes, "Who the hell-"

I sat up, looking at him, "Tseng? What are you doing here?"

Tseng only stared at me as he came to my bedside, sitting down in the chair to my left. He put his hands over one of mine and said, "I thought you were gone forever…It truly terrified me…"

I frowned at him, but he shook his head, "Don't mistaken it…I just thought…I was never going to get the chance to make everything up to you…because you marched off to your own death…"

I rolled my eyes, "I didn't 'march off' to my death. I saved my sister. Sarah needed me and I wasn't going to abandon her."

Tseng nodded, lowering his gaze, "…I know that…It's an admirable trait of yours. Sacrificing yourself for the ones you love. You don't even realize you're doing it, do you?"

I frowned at him again, "I didn't sacrifice anything."

"You were ready to throw down your life for your friend's. That is sacrifice," Tseng said, giving me a long look.

I only rolled my eyes once more, "Why are you here?"

He shook his head, "Friends…That's what we are, isn't it? Is it not acceptable for a friend to visit another friend when she is ill?"

I exhaled, looking away from him, "…Whatever…"

* * *

Rosa and Sephiroth were walking through the LOVELESS Section outside HQ after they finished patrolling. Every now and then someone would run up to them and ask them to sign something or take picture, but at that particular moment everything was calm as the two walked hand in hand. They walked by the amphitheater and heard music, Rosa stopped and tilted her head slightly, "…LOVELESS."

Sephiroth snickered, looking at her, "Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?"

Rosa laughed quietly, "Why _did_ you bring popcorn with you that day?"

Sephiroth shook his head, "I have no idea. I clearly wasn't thinking clearly when that all happened."

They both chuckled, and then Sephiroth turned to her, "Care to dance?"

Rosa's eyes widened as she looked around the empty street, "Here?"

"Why not?" Sephiroth shrugged, tucking one arm behind his back and holding the other up to her in a half bow, "Scared?"

She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and then took his hand, "Lead the way."

He twirled her around once and pulled her against him, swaying slowly as she laughed, "You're such a dork sometimes!"

Sephiroth only grinned, "Just around you."

Rosa sighed with a smile, "You know, that's kind of romantic."

Sephiroth, for the first time she'd known him, had a tinge of pink in his cheeks. Rosa leaned against him and laughed quietly, "It's nice. Don't be embarrassed…"

"I'm not," he responded quickly, hugging her, "I'm not…"

And they continued their dance…

* * *

It was the first week through our recovery when the professors let Sarah out of bed and into a wheelchair. She rolled through the door and smirked at me, "Having trouble sitting still, Kat?"

I scowled, because I had been on the worse end of the surgery they wouldn't let me out for another week, "Shut up."

She laughed, wheeling over to my bedside, "So, seen anyone today?"

I shook my head, not wanting to discuss Tseng and his frequent visits, "No, not today. But they're busy, you know?"

She shrugged, "I know, but it sucks being stuck here. I think I'd rather be in a coma or something."

I scoffed, "You'd rather I left you dead?"

We both looked at each other and then cracked up. It had been one week out of a month…and it was driving us nuts. Sarah ran a hand over her face, "Nah, I'd rather not be dead. Thanks, by the way…I don't think I ever thanked you."

I shrugged, "Doesn't matter."

"Of course it does," she said, giving me a dark look.

"Not really," I replied, "Because I would've done it anyway."

She only sighed, shaking her head at me, "You're impossible, you know."

I laughed, "So I've heard."

Sarah tilted her head to the side, "You _do_ know we're required to attend the party that was pushed back when we get out of here, right?"

I blanked, staring at her, "…What party? I thought it was canceled?"

Sarah covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, but then she snickered, "You really don't remember? The Valentine's party, it was pushed back because we couldn't make it. It's the week after we get out of here, in March."

"Talk about a belated Valentine's party…" I murmured, sighing, "Tifa knows about this, doesn't she?"

Sarah smirked, I groaned, "Damn it…More dresses?"

"Oh yeah," she chuckled, "Loads more. Rosa came in yesterday talking all about the designs they're making and let me tell you, you're not going to like some of the ones they are making for you."

I exhaled in irritation, "I love how people decide things for me without consulting me."

"Oh, they're not trying to make you mad," Sarah said, messing with the wheels on her chair, "Holy crap! Watch this! I think I've figured out how to do a wheelie!"

"No! Sarah, don't do-!" I shouted just as her chair tilted back and slammed into the floor. I ran a hand over my face, "-that…"

Sarah groaned from the floor, I tried to lean over the rail to see her, but I couldn't, "Uh…do you need help?"

"That is the dumbest question you have _ever_ asked me!" She yelled at me from where ever she was.

I scowled, "You know what? I'm not the one who was all 'look at me and my wheelie'!"

I hit the button on my bed's panel and a nurse came in, "Miss Davis? How can I help…Oh my!"

The nurse got Sarah back into her chair and asked what happened. Sarah was red in the face as she explained what had happened, the nurse scolded her and said that Gast would probably assign her to permanent bedside care. Sarah begged the nurse to let up on her and that it wouldn't happen again, because Zack had taught Sarah how to use 'the puppy dog' face correctly, the nurse gave in.

Sarah wheeled her chair around to face me, "I think I'm going back to my room before I get in any more trouble-"

My door opened again and in walked Cloud and Rosa. I waved, "Hey, guys!"

Rosa waved enthusiastically and then looked at Sarah, "What the hell happened to you?"

Sarah glowered as I chuckled, she replied, "I fell out of my chair…"

"How?" Cloud asked, looking confused.

My laughter rose a level, I covered my face as I laughed, "Oh, Goddess! It was so funny!"

Sarah rolled her chair out of the room, "I hate you, Kat!"

Rosa and Cloud both looked at me after Sarah slammed the door shut, "Do we want to know?"

I explained and they both cracked up, Rosa snickered, "She really did that!"

I nodded, "Yeah!"

Rosa chuckled, "Well, I'm going to go try and cheer her up. Later, Kat!"

Rosa walked out while Cloud and I slowly stopped laughing. He sat down in the chair next to my bed and smiled, "So, how are you feeling?"

"Annoyed beyond belief, honestly," I answered, stretching, "It's only been a week and I'm going bonkers."

Cloud laughed quietly, "I thought it would be driving you crazy. I couldn't imagine you being stuck in one place, but here you are."

"Here I am," I said softly, looking at him.

I'd had a lot to think about in the past week while seeing Tseng. He'd been nice, weirdly nice, and I knew in the back of my mind that he was up to something, but I couldn't figure out what. Of course, while I'd had time to think about Tseng that also left me time to think about Cloud.

I looked up at the blond with his Mako blue eyes and sighed happily, he tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. I've been thinking too much."

Cloud smirked, "You've always thought too much."

"This is true," I replied, a smile spreading across my face.

He stayed for a long time, we talked about loads of things, but I was just biding my time with him. Any moment I could get with him made me want him to be around more, but I was stuck here and he wasn't. I knew that and every time he visited was a highlight in my day. I knew where I was heading emotionally, but I had to settle things with Tseng. If I didn't come out and say that I no longer had any feelings for him at all then I wouldn't be able to completely move on.

That was just the way my mind worked.

Cloud stood up nearly an hour and a half later, around ten in the morning, and kissed my forehead, "I'll visit later probably."

I bowed my head slightly, hiding the blush, "Y-Yeah. I'll see you later."

He ruffled my hair and smiled as I looked up at him, "Later."

I nodded and he left. I sighed, slumping back against the pillows there, "…What on Gaia is wrong with me…?"

I was alone for a good hour when my door opened and Tseng entered. I nodded at him, but made no move to sit up, "Good morning."

"Morning," he replied, sitting down where Cloud had been only an hour before, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I replied, looking out the window to my left, "How are things with the company?"

"What do you mean?" Tseng asked, tilting his head slightly.

"The others visit, they say that nothing is happening without Sarah and I," I answered, turning to look at him, "The others don't want me to worry, so I know they aren't telling my anything…but they've all been on patrol. What's happening out there?"

Tseng looked at me, giving me an odd look, one that told me he was debating telling me the truth or not. I exhaled, looking out the window again, "You're the only one that I can depend on to tell me the truth right now. If you can't do me that much…then I'll have to ask you to leave."

Tseng made a pained sound that made me turn back to face him, "What?"

"…Things aren't going well. Wutai had a section within its army called the Silver Crescent or something and it is still active. It is trying to 'reclaim glory' for the old Wutai, from before," Tseng replied, "…We found one of those very members in the building a few days ago. Security has increased, patrols are now purely SOLDIER based, even the Turks are patrolling the city and building lately…That is one of the reasons SOLDIER is waiting to do anything major until it gets two of its key players back."

I let out a breath, "Wutai…Is this about the new HQ going in?"

Tseng nodded, "That is the suspicion. We think the Silver Crescent is trying to scare Shin-Ra out of Wutai."

"That isn't going to work," I murmured, "It never has…so why try this now?"

"They don't want us to have a permanent base there. They were already furious when they realized your base was there," Tseng answered automatically, "…You've actually been assigned two guards outside your rooms."

"What?" I asked, feeling my eyes widen.

Tseng nodded, "Yeah, Reno and Rude were out there until I came by. They're switching with Cissnei and Vincent. The Turks were assigned for your guards this week, SOLDIER is taking over next week, and then we switch again the week after that."

"But…why am I being guarded?" I questioned.

"Because, you helped end the war," Tseng said quietly, "Everyone who helped end the war is being guarded, even Sephiroth."

I sighed, trying to force myself to relax, "…I see…This is why they didn't tell me anything."

Tseng looked at me with dark eyes, "Kat…Be careful once you get out of here. We've almost got all of the members tracked down, but if one slips through…"

"That'll mean the end of me," I finished, closing my eyes.

Tseng's hand rested on mine suddenly, I didn't move or look at him as he said, "That won't happen. I won't let it."

"…You're letting your emotions get the best of you," I replied softly, then I opened my eyes, "Don't let yourself get close to me, because I won't return your feelings. I can assure you of that."

Tseng didn't say anything for a long time, "…You seem rather sure of that."

"I am," I answered, meeting his gaze, lying only slightly, "I am very sure of that."

He only blinked, then he patted my hand as he stood, "I'll visit you soon."

He went to the door, but it opened before he could touch the handle. Rosa stood there, she looked at Tseng and then at me, "Uh…Hello?"

Tseng nodded at Rosa, "Excuse me."

He walked out the door and Rosa stood in the hallway, watching as he disappeared. She shut the door and came over to me, "So…what was he doing here?"

"Visiting," I answered with a sour look on my face, "But, like all things, he managed to make things awkward."

"Trying to make another move on you?" Rosa asked sitting on the edge of the bed.

I shrugged, "I don't even think he realized he was."

Rosa shook her head, "Are you ever going to tell us what happened that night?"

I looked at my hands, "…I will when I'm ready."

She nodded, "Fair enough."

I brought my gaze up to hers, "So, who is outside?"

"Vincent and Ciss…nei…" Rosa said quickly, but trailed off when she realized what I'd asked, "…Damn it. Who told you!"

I snickered, "You confirmed my suspicion."

"I am in so much trouble now!" Rosa wailed.

I laughed, "Don't tell anyone and neither will I."

She exhaled in relief, "Thanks, Kat!"

I chuckled, "So, dresses?"

Rosa beamed, "Yeah! The dresses are coming along great! But they're reds, pinks, and whites to go along with the 'Valentine's Day' theme. I think we should be doing greens and stuff! You know, for Saint Patrick's Day!"

"Ask the President if he'll change the theme," I suggested.

Rosa nodded, "Great idea! Goddess, Kat, you're so smart!"

She waved, running out the door, "Later!"

I laughed quietly and closed my eyes, "So crazy…"

Then I slept.

* * *

Rosa was muttering to herself that day after she visited Kat, "Damn Kat…tricked me into telling her…Oof!"

She ran literately into Cloud as she exited onto the sixth floor from the elevator, "Oh, hell, Cloud!"

Cloud frowned at her, "What's wrong with you?"

"I just ran into freaking Tseng as I went to visit Kat!" Rosa exclaimed, looking irritated, "I freaking hate him! Why doesn't he just leave her alone?"

"Wait…He's been to see her?" Cloud asked, a look of disbelief on his face.

She nodded, "He was coming out of her room. He didn't look to happy about it either. Kat won't even acknowledge he'd been there."

Cloud scowled, "I see…"

Rosa didn't even realize the events she'd set into motion as she'd walked away…

* * *

Another week passed by, full of visitors and confusion, lots of thoughts on how to settle things with Tseng and wishing I had enough courage to talk to Cloud seriously. Then Lazard came to visit, he entered the room and gave me a long look before smiling, "Hello, Kat! I've actually got a proposition for you!"

I sat up, smiling, "Director, come in! I've actually been waiting for you!"

"Really?" He asked, shutting the door and sitting in the chair next to me, "Well, someone certainly can't kept their mouths shut…"

I laughed quietly, "Sir, your proposition?"

"Well, you may have already heard about the HQ being built in Wutai," Lazard explained with hand gestures, "It will be completed in two weeks. There is already a complete staff put together, there are recruits getting ready to go in, and the only thing missing is a Director. The President wants to offer it to you and your team."

I made a face, "Director? Me?"

He nodded, "He said there is no one better for the job."

I bit my lip and looked at my hands, "Sir…I'm honored…but I can't leave my team. I know Sarah and Rosa won't leave."

Lazard looked at me oddly, "I thought you and your team wanted to go back to Wutai?"

"That was before…" I trailed off, my thoughts taking me to somewhere else, "…before they fell in love."

Lazard had a knowing look on his face, smiling with a nod, "Would you like to think about it?"

I shrugged, "Sure, I'll get back to you on that."

He chuckled and left, leaving me alone in my lovely room once more.

The next morning I was allowed into a wheelchair…and it ended badly.

I rolled myself into Sarah's room where the nurses had just put her into her own chair, and immediately we both had the same evil idea. The nurses left the room and then Sarah looked at me, "…Wheelchair races?"

"Totally!" I exclaimed, she rolled over to her door and opened it. Standing outside was Genesis and Angeal, both looked surprised, but they weren't expecting both Sarah and I to wheel out into the hall.

We evened out right next to one another, Sarah said, "One!"

Angeal looked at us, "What are you two…?"

I called out, "Two!"

"Kat-?" Genesis tried.

Then we both yelled, "THREE!"

Taking off down the hall as quickly as possible, I passed Sarah as someone walked in front of her. She screamed at me, "CHEATER! YOU'RE SUCH A CHEATER!"

I turned my chair around at the end of the hall, sticking my tongue out at her, "I didn't cheat! That person totally walked in front of you of their own free will!"

Sarah glared at me as she rolled over to me, "Whatever! You're the one that kept going!"

"Like you would have stopped!" I laughed.

She looked stumped, "…You're so annoying!"

I snickered, "Race back?"

"You're on!" She said with a laugh.

We raced back and the same stupid person crossed our paths, blocking our way, but then we realized it was Professor Gast. He frowned at us, "Sarah, Kathleen. Please, you're going to injure yourselves."

We both shamefully rolled our chairs back into our rooms, but once our main doors closed I sat in my room for a second before Sarah opened the door conjoining our rooms. We both burst out laughing, giving one another a high five.

Sarah chuckled, "That was so much fun!"

I nodded in agreement, "Yeah!"

We both laughed for a long time before discussing everything I'd found out from Tseng. Sarah stared at me, "That's why Angeal and Gen were out there? I was wondering, but…How did you find out about this?"

I thought it over for a minute and then lied, also deciding not to tell her about the job position I'd been offered, "Lazard told me."

"Ah, that makes sense," Sarah said with a frown, "So…we're potential targets of the Wutai forces. Awesome."

"That's the sum of it," I shrugged, "But you know something? I would rather face the Wutai forces right now versus wearing whatever death contraption Tifa and Rosa create for the next two weeks."

Sarah laughed, "Yeah! I know what you mean!"

We talked for a long time, seeing everyone, and then the nurses put us both back into bed.

All I could think that night was, _'Two more weeks…'_

* * *

During the third week Tseng came to visit, he came into my room and looked at me, "You were offered the position of Director!"

I stared at him a long moment, "…Yeah, why?"

"That's great! When do you start? I know it's in Wutai and that sucks, but you-" He started prattling excitedly.

I held up a hand, causing him to stop talking, "I turned it down. I'm staying here in Midgar."

He blinked, astonished, "What? But…this is your dream! You've always wanted to be Director!"

I exhaled unhappily, I didn't want to talk about this with _him_, "…I can't go. I have to stay here."

"…This is about him, isn't it?" Tseng said, a tinge of anger in his tone, "You're going to throw away your dreams for him?"

"Even if I did, what business is it of yours?" I asked, giving him a dark look, "Besides, that's not my reason," I thought to myself, _'Not completely, anyway'_, but I said, "the girls are both involved with someone here. They won't leave and neither will I."

Tseng shook his head slowly, "One day you'll have to separate, you know that, right?"

I looked out my window, "…One day…but not today. Until then I will cherish my time with them. Until a situation arises where I can not emotionally act as General for them properly…then I will remain here. Dreams or not, they mean nothing unless the people I care about are there to back me up."

Tseng stared at me, "…Is this why we are so different?"

I looked at him, "Because you're willing to throw away everyone around you to reach your dreams?" I was silent a moment as I thought about it, "…Yes…This is one of the reasons we could never work."

Tseng shook his head, "…Is _he_ like you?"

"Cloud cares about the people around him, yes," I answered, "Tseng…I'm tired. Please…just go."

He didn't say another word, he turned and left…

Everything was coming together at last.

* * *

Gast looked over all the instruments around me again during the fourth and final week, "…Yes, yes…Things look all right, Kathleen. We'll be taking these stitches out and the Mako should heal everything else quickly. I think you will be able to leave tomorrow."

I stretched slightly, my legs resting on the side of the bed, "Really? Tomorrow?"

He nodded, "Yes, tomorrow. I'll have someone come in and take care of the stitches in a moment. Rest tonight and then we'll get your release papers signed…You two are truly lucky women, you know."

I grinned, "Thanks, Professor."

"No, thank you, my dear," he replied and left.

I twisted back into my bed and flopped against my pillows, "I can finally leave tomorrow…"

I grinned to myself, "Yes!"

The day went by and my stitches were removed, I slept soundly that night…

"There you go," Cloud said to me as he helped me onto my feet for the first time in a month. I stood for a moment, he looked at me uncertainly, "Are you sure you can walk all right?"

I frowned, I'd changed before he'd come into the room, and took a couple steps forward. I was fine, "Yeah. I think I've got it."

He nodded, a grin on his face, "The General returns, eh?"

I grinned back, "Yeah!"

I put on my shoes and ran my hands through my hair, sighing excitedly, "Let's go!"

I walked out into the hall with Cloud close behind, the others all stood there, even Sarah. I waved once, "Hey, everyone!"

They all laughed, "Hey!"

I signed my papers and I was free to go. We all walked to the elevators and got in, Rosa hugged me enthusiastically, "I'm so glad you're both okay!"

I hugged her back, "It's good to be back."

Then she pulled back, "You, Sarah, and I have to go to Tifa's _right now_! The party is in three days and we haven't had the chance to do a fitting!"

Sarah groaned, a hand over her face, "Rosa!"

The guys all snickered and laughed, getting off on our floor. Zack ruffled my hair and gave Sarah a quick kiss, "See you girls later!"

Rosa hit the button for the first floor and I could only help but think one thing…

_'You know, maybe I was better off in bed…'_

* * *

**So, something is going to happen the night of the party...but what on Gaia could it be? Leave a lovely review for me and get a chapter tomorrow! Please leave a review if you read? Pwease?**

**Review!**

**~Sarah~**


	16. When Things Go Awry

**So...all I can say is I hope this chapter and the next don't make you as angry as it made Rosa and Sarah when they read it the first time! :) Anyway, onto reviews:**

**Lore, I wonder myself what Tseng is going to do once and _if_ Cloud and Kat get together. I was surprised to see there are KatXCloud fans, but pleasantly so! :) Thank you for your review!**

**Loopylooploop, worry not, my friend! I didn't really care for Tseng in any of the games, he just, as you said, wasn't likeable. He just kind of took on a life of his own once he entered this story and...well, I think my ultimate dislike of him is apparent. :) I am so sorry to hear that you can't play too far into FFVII! It was definitely one, if not my favorite Final Fantasy! I hope you get to finish it one day! As for Cloud and making his move...well...I think this chapter should answer one of your questions...:) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Evilly-innocent, well, I'm sorry it wouldn't let you review before, but as you said, you've reviewed now and I think that makes up for it! ;) Yes, Sarah, Rosa, and I have rely on each other a lot in real life and that became apparent here in this story as well, but I'm glad to hear there are other people similar to us! And it's pretty much been our dream since we were younger to wheelchair race through the hospital or something! Ah! I'm rambling! Anyway, thank you for reviewing! I hope you review again!**

**ShatterTheHeavens, well, hopefully you won't be too angry with me after you read this chapter? :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Myloveispurity8, ah, yes, Kat could have been Director and fulfilled her dreams...but she hasn't told anyone about this deal, has she? Yes, she is a target of the underground Wutai forces, but I don't really think she cares, you know? Anyway, let the party begin and thanks for reviewing, as always! :)**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Cloud. That's pretty much it.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

**When Things Go Awry**

Rosa had succeeded in convincing the president to change the theme from Valentine's Day to Saint Patrick's Day. So, thankfully, instead of pinks and whites we were in greens and colors like it. Plus, the dresses weren't half as bad as they'd been for the Christmas Ball.

Once again we were in 7th Heaven's back room while Tifa got us all ready, as well as herself. That first day when Sarah and I had walked into 7th Heaven's doors, Tifa had nearly knocked us over with her hug, "Sarah! Kat! I couldn't get into the building because of security! I am so glad you're okay!"

Now Tifa was messing with Sarah's hair while Rosa was messing with my dress. I looked at Rosa's dress in the mirror. She had a knee length cut dress that was cut lowly, spaghetti straps held up the emerald and off green dress. It shimmered slightly when she moved, catching my short attention span, "You and Tifa did wonders with the dresses this time!"

Rosa smiled, "Thank, Kat!"

I inspected my own in the mirror; it was a v-neck, cut low with spaghetti straps, silver shimmers in areas all along the dress, it had a ball gown look as it fell in cascades from the hip all the way to the floor, hiding my ridiculously high heels. Regardless, the forest green dress looked lovely, despite it being on myself.

Sarah came out of the bathroom in her dress, a small smile on her face, "These gowns are wonderful. Nothing like the Valentine's Day designs!"

Sarah and I looked at each other in relief at that note. The Valentine's Day dresses were still on mannequins around the room; short, frilly, little dresses in pink and white. They were truly terrifying sights for two such as Sarah and I, whom hated dresses to begin with.

Sarah's dress was green and an off blue color. It started off the blue color near the top and faded into a dark, rich green as it flowed down the floor. Sarah's dress was strapless, but it was cut straight across the top, and it looked great on her.

Tifa's was similar to Rosa's only it had a black colored sash around the waist and it was a bright, yet dark green.

Tifa waved at the door, "Let's go out into the main bar. It's not like they haven't seen us dressed up this time."

We all agreed and went out to the bar, sitting there, talking and laughing. Tifa pulled out four shot glasses and set them on the bar, filling each one with one of the many bottles behind her, "One shot to good health!"

Sarah and I snorted, she said, "Hell, I'll drink to that one!"

We all downed our shots and laughed, for no good reason. Then the door opened, I was usually last to leave so I didn't turn around. Rosa was standing on the other side of the bar with Tifa and pointed over my shoulder, "Kat, I think there's someone here for you!"

I frowned slightly, turning to face the door and there stood Cloud. I inhaled sharply, looking at him for a second. He was wearing a clean cut tuxedo just like he has at the Christmas Ball, but this time it was different for me. It was different because this time I knew where I stood in my heart, it was with him.

He smiled at me as Rosa pushed me, she leaned over the bar and hissed in my ear, "Go, you idiot! He's waiting for you!"

I nodded once, a blush creeping up my face, "Y-Yeah…R-right…"

I got up and naturally tripped over my own feet, but quick as he was, Cloud caught me. I looked up at him, heart hammering in my chest, and saw he had a tinge of pink to his cheeks as well, "You should be more careful, Kat…"

I laughed nervously, "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind…"

He grinned and I beamed, the girls all laughed behind me. I turned, scowling at them, "Shut up!"

That only made them laugh harder, so I straightened my posture and looked at Cloud, not bothering to hide the fact that my face was beet red, "We can go anytime now…"

He nodded, offering an arm to me, "Then let's go?"

I nodded back, smiling softly, wrapping my arm around his, "Yes."

We walked off, heading to the building, the girls' laughing still ringing in my ears…

* * *

"And this is my second General in Command, General Sarah Kathleen Davis," the President introduced me to a few Wutai officials, one of whom was Yuffie's father, "And hopefully she will reconsider the position of Director in the Wutai HQ."

I wore a strained smile as I shook hands with Godo, Yuffie's father, "It is an honor to meet you, sir."

Godo smiled at me, a stern nod, "Yes, I've heard of the female General of Shin-Ra, although, I must tell you I thought it was a myth."

I laughed, "No, sir, I assure you I am very real."

"And quite beautiful, are you sure you're apart of SOLDIER and not some decoy to confuse me?" Godo laughed.

I rolled my eyes, "Sir, I think you may have had a bit too much to drink already."

The President chuckled, "Kathleen is not good with compliments."

Godo nodded, "Yes, I can see that! Well, I hope you will reconsider as well, Kathleen of SOLDIER."

I bowed slightly, "Thank you."

The President only patted me on the arm, "I see Mr. Strife is waiting on you, perhaps you should rejoin him?"

I agreed, "Thank you, Sir."

I walked back over to Cloud and smiled, "Sorry about that."

Cloud laughed quietly, "The duty of a General, eh?"

"Something like that," I mumbled in irritation. I put a hand on his arm, "Hey, could we go somewhere else for a minute? I want to talk to you about something."

Cloud arched an eyebrow at me, "Sure, where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere quiet," I replied, looking around, making sure no one was around to interrupt me, because I knew it was going to be difficult for me to get the words out once let alone having to do it a second time if I was interrupted.

He nodded and walked us back to the entrance, the silence was deafening compared to the party just around the corner. The elevators were on the other end of the hall, but no one was coming to or from that way.

Cloud looked at me, "What's up?"

I leaned against the wall, looking up at him, "When I was in the infirmary…I had a lot of time to think about things. My past, the future, everything…I wanted to tell you how I feel…Cloud, I-"

Cloud looked down at me, standing close, his face nearing mine, "Kat…I…"

Our faces were close, I had to get the words out now…or I wouldn't…be…His nose brushed against mine, I gasped softly and-

"Hey, Cloud! Kat!"

I dropped my head, letting it hit Cloud's shoulder, "Damn it…"

Cloud exhaled heavily as well as we both turned to face Sephiroth and Rosa, the woman leading him by the arm. She waved excitedly, "Have you guys been inside yet!"

"Yes," I replied, "We were just talking."

Sephiroth was staring at the back of Rosa's head like he couldn't believe she didn't realize what she'd just done. I met his gaze and shrugged unhappily, Sephiroth just shook his head silently. Cloud grimaced at my comment, but Rosa didn't notice any of it, she only turned and grabbed my arm as well, "Let's go!"

I looked at Cloud, giving him the 'we'll talk later' look, and then grabbed his hand, making him come with us. We were all dragged onto the dance floor against our wills and forced to dance to the upbeat tune. By the end of the song we were all falling on one another, laughing so hard we were in tears.

I leaned against Cloud's shoulder, wiping my eyes, "Oh, Goddess! I hope no one recorded that!"

Cloud laughed as well as Rosa said, "Oh, damn! That was so much fun!"

We all wandered off to the tables where we saw Sarah, Zack, Tifa, and Reno sitting. We joined them, greeting one another, and sat down. I sat between Sephiroth and Cloud, Seph leaned over to me and whispered, "Sorry about Rosa earlier…"

I murmured back, "There'll be other chances."

"Yeah, but that was like _the_ move," Sephiroth replied quietly, "The one that would've pretty much solidified everything, you know?"

I nodded sadly, "I know."

Sarah looked at us, "What are you two talking about?"

Sephiroth shook his head, "Kat was leaning in her chair again."

I tilted my head to the side a bit, "Did I tell you the story about Sarah falling out of her wheelchair, Seph?"

"No, I don't believe you have," Sephiroth replied, an evil smirk on his face.

Sarah groaned, causing everyone to laugh at her. Then I got up, going to get a drink and Sarah came with me. We stood in the line and Sarah said, "So, you going to decide what to do about Cloud soon?"

"I already have decided," I admitted, "and to tell you the truth, I was in the middle of making the first move when freaking Rosa interrupted me."

Sarah gaped at me, "She didn't."

I nodded, almost furiously, "Oh, yes, she did! I mean I was _this_ close to kissing him and then she comes barreling down the hallway, screaming my name at the top of her lungs."

"No!" Sarah exclaimed, her hands over her face, "Tell me you're lying! Tell me that's an evil, vicious lie!"

"It's not," I said sadly as the line moved up.

Sarah and I turned at the same time, nearly murderous looks on our faces as we met Rosa's gaze across the room. She paled and stared at us in terror before we turned back. Sarah looked at me, "She did."

"Yes," I answered.

"I'll _kill_ her!" Sarah roared, causing many people to look at us, "I've _waited_ for that moment for _months_ and she does that!"

I waved a finger at her, "You are not the one who doesn't have a love life because of Rosa. You are not the one suffering here."

Sarah looked at me sympathetically, "…I'll still kill her."

I snorted, "Goddess, I adore you, Sarah."

She rolled her eyes as she grabbed a soda for her and one for me, "Yeah, yeah. I've heard that before."

We got back to the table and talked about many things, the whole time Sarah and I glared at Rosa. The tanned girl winced every time we did, as if she suddenly understood what she'd done earlier. We watched as Zack and Cloud walked off to get drinks as well, but all of the girls and I didn't think about it, we only continued to talk. I kept having this horrible, nagging feeling though…

Nothing was going to go wrong…

Right?

* * *

Cloud had a stern look on his face, Zack frowned and put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Cloud shook his head, "…I don't know what to do. Zack…I really don't."

Zack looked back at the table, seeing everyone distracted, and pulled Cloud off to the side where the elevators were. There were too many people in the large ballroom like area, he couldn't hear Cloud. The silence was odd compared to the loud room, but it gave Zack time to listen to his friend.

"Okay," Zack said, turning to Cloud, "Tell me what's up."

Cloud sighed, "Me, Kat…everything. I thought…we were getting closer, you know…but Rosa came to me a couple weeks ago and told me Tseng had been visiting Kat the entire time. She's kept it a secret, hasn't told anyone."

"How did Rosa find out?" Zack asked, confused.

"Ran into him as he was leaving. Rosa said Kat wouldn't talk about it afterward," Cloud said quietly, "…I don't know what to think about that. What's going on between them that she has to keep a secret?"

Zack frowned, "That _is_ weird."

"But…before you guys all showed up, she pulled me out here and said she wanted to talk. When she started talking she was telling me that she had had a lot of time to think and that she wanted to tell me how she felt," Cloud said in a rush.

Zack tilted his head, "And? What did she say?"

"Rosa started hollering before she could finish," Cloud replied, a sour look on his face, "She never said. Zack…She's close to my heart, but she still cares about him. What the hell am I supposed to do, let alone think?"

Zack ran a hand through his black spikes, "…I don't know, man. Kat is a complicated chick. Maybe you should just come out and ask her?"

Cloud stared, Zack shrugged, "It was just a thought."

The blond looked stressed, "I just…I care…and I don't know what is going to happen with her…It freaks me out, you know…What if she doesn't care for me the way I care about her…?"

"It's the chance you run, Cloud," Zack replied sympathetically, "She may, she may not…but you've got to give it a shot. No matter what, though, do not turn on her. If you turn on her she _will_ run."

Cloud only exhaled, not saying anything. Zack grabbed his shoulder, "Let's head back. We're going to worry some of those lovely ladies out there if we don't!"

Cloud's head was still full of doubts, but he nodded and left with Zack…

* * *

I laughed hard as Genesis and Rosa finished acting out a parody of LOVELESS. Rosa bowed theatrically, "And I am the Goddess! Bow down to me feeble man!"

Genesis had a look of terror on his face as he fell to his knees, "But what of my wings, dear Goddess!"

"Ah, forget them!" Rosa finished, crossing her arms and looking at the ceiling.

We roared in laughter as they bowed, Sarah snorted and asked, "Where on Gaia did you two get an idea like that?"

They both turned, looking at Sephiroth. Sarah, Angeal, and I gaped at the silver haired man, he only shrugged, "What? I was bored."

The laughter started up again, all of us in tears.

After we'd stopped laughing Sarah looked around, "Where are the boys?

I shook my head, "I don't know. I thought they were getting drinks, but they aren't there."

Sarah frowned, "I'm going to go look for them."

She walked off to the drink table, and I excused myself a moment later to go to the bathroom. I got halfway across the crowded dance floor when someone grabbed me by the arm. I turned and looked up at Tseng, sighing, "You know, a simple, 'Hey, Kat', would do you a world of good versus just grabbing me."

Tseng smiled secretively, "Yes, but there is quite a bit of noise. Who is to say you would hear me?"

"Then that would be my loss," I replied, now uncomfortable with my situation, "What do you want, Tseng?"

"We didn't part on the best of terms the last time we met," Tseng answered, looking oddly confident, "I wanted to speak with you."

I snorted, "You could have called."

"Would you have answered?" He asked, an eyebrow arched. I didn't say anything and he smirked, "Exactly."

I sighed, "Then talk."

"Can we go somewhere else?" Tseng asked.

I frowned at him, looking around for help of some kind, but I found none. I looked at the exit, hoping to see one of the others, but I'd gotten myself in an area where no one could see me.

I was such an idiot.

I exhaled, "Fine."

He led me out onto a balcony to talk.

It was a move I would later regret for the rest of my life…

* * *

Cloud and Zack walked back to the table, Sarah arrived at the same time. She wrapped an arm around Zack's, "Where were you guys?"

"Needed to have a chat," Zack said with a shrug, "Why? Were you worried?"

"As if," Sarah laughed.

Cloud frowned, "Where's Kat?"

Rosa looked at Tifa, the brunette woman tilted her head, "I think she said she was going to the bathroom, but she's been gone a while."

Zack looked at Cloud, the blonde's frown deepened. Sarah separated from Zack, "I'll go look in the bathroom for her."

"If she's sick or something tell her to go home," Rosa said over Sarah's shoulder, "You know how she is!"

Sarah waved over her shoulder, "Yeah! I know!"

Cloud and Zack stood there, talking with the others for a good ten minutes when Adrian ran over. The young Turk looked at Rosa, "H-Hey! Have you seen Tseng?"

Sarah ran over, flushed and panicky looking, "Guys, I can't find Kat!"

Cloud cursed loudly, "Damn it! Where the hell are they?"

Lazard was walking by, Zack stopped him, "Director! Have you seen Kat?"

The Director nodded, pointing near the back of the room, "She walked off that way with Tseng, I think. I was going to stop them, but it looked like she went willingly."

Cloud paled, Zack sighed heavily, "Awesome. Just what we needed."

* * *

I sighed heavily, looking at the balcony before turning to peer up at my oh-so-wonderful ex-fiancé, "I'm here. Let's talk."

Then everything changed, his entire demeanor as he turned to look at me. I took a step back from him as he took one toward me, "Tseng, what's wrong with you?"

He grabbed my hands, I backed up again, hitting the rail behind me, "Kat, listen to me…You're making the biggest mistake of your life."

"Let go of me," I said angrily, trying to pull my hands from his. His grip only tightened and panic set in, I tugged harder, "Tseng! Stop it! What are you doing?"

He shook his head slowly, forcing me to be still with his strength, "Listen to me for one second."

I stared at him, fear seemed to be a sudden thing for me. I was trapped, I couldn't move and I was pressed against the balcony rail. I knew if he pressed against me any harder than he was then I'd probably fall, and Mako infusions or not, I was not going to survive a thirty story fall.

All I could do was go through my training mentally, calming myself down as I said, "Okay, Tseng, you've got my attention. Just get to the point, okay? Calm down."

It was a long moment before his grip lessened slightly, then it began.

"Kat, the thing is this…without you I've got nothing. I have to have you in my life again. I'll do anything!" He exclaimed, a desperate look in his eyes as he spoke.

I shook my head slowly, gently trying to shake his hands off my wrists, "No, Tseng. I don't love you-"

"Cloud? Is this about him?" Tseng whispered almost angrily, "How could you _possibly_ love, let alone care about a man you've only known five months over me?"

I let my gaze drop, unable to come up with another answer other than 'I just do', but Tseng took it as an admission, "See? You're not thinking sensibly! I know what is at stake with your career! I love you and I won't jeopardize that, Kat. Don't you see that I'm the better choice?"

I looked up at him, his face too close to mine, "Tseng…"

"Kat, please," Tseng murmured, his hands on mine tightened again, "Just give me another chance…I'll make up for everything…"

"…_Kat…He's done nothing but hurt and break promises to you…but…when you're ready to be free of him…I'll be here. I'll be waiting on you, Kat…"_

I shook my head again, a firm and solid answer on my lips, "No. Not now, not ever. We're over, Tseng. You had your chance and now it's gone. The most we can ever be…is friends. If you don't want that then we can't be anything."

Tseng's eyes darkened, hopeless, "You're serious?"

I nodded, "Yes."

He stared at me, "…Friends…Can we do that?"

"It's up to you," I murmured, staring up at him.

He sighed, squeezing my hands, "I already told you, Kat. I need you in my life."

I smiled, "Friends it is."

Then I walked away, heading back toward the party. My head was clear, my heart open, and suddenly I realized what I was going to do next:

I had to find Cloud.

* * *

Cloud went over to where Lazard had pointed, it was reasonably quieter in this area of the room. He neared the balcony door, but stopped once he began hearing a voice speaking, "…How could you _possibly_ love, let alone care about a man you've only known five months over me?"

Cloud looked around the corner, seeing Kat and Tseng. If he'd looked at it any other way…he would have thought they were _together_. He was holding her hands and they were looking at one another in such a way…

Fury rose within Cloud, but he stood and listened. Tseng bent down, his face nearing Kat's, "See? You're not thinking sensibly! I know what is at stake with your career! I love you and I won't jeopardize that, Kat. Don't you see that I'm the better choice?"

Cloud didn't know what Tseng mean by her career, and he didn't care. He was too busy watching Kat. Her pale face had been looking away, but something changed in her expression. She looked up at Tseng, accidentally coming even closer to the Turk, "Tseng…"

Cloud's hands balled into fists as the Turk's hands visibly tightened on hers, "Kat, please…Just give me another chance…I'll make up for everything…"

Even Cloud could hear the sincerity in his voice, Kat's entire expression fell and Cloud knew it was over. He turned, heading back to the party. He walked by Genesis on his way back.

The copper haired man frowned at him, "What's wrong?"

"Tseng…and Kat," Cloud growled, walking on.

Cloud's chest throbbed painfully, he was angry…hurt…The worst part was that he actually thought he'd had a chance with Kat. She'd opened up to him when she hadn't even talked to Sarah or Rosa. She'd related to him on a different level…Kat had been different…

And damaged.

He remembered that, when she'd warned him, '_You don't want to go down this path, Cloud. I'm damaged, at best, and…I can't guarantee you anything…'_

Cloud cursed himself, even _she'd _warned him this could happen…He felt an odd lump in his throat…and then it hit him. Exactly why he was so angry, hurt, confused…even when he didn't have a claim on her of any kind…He didn't just _like_ her…

He _loved_ Kat.

Cloud went out onto a different balcony, running a hand over his face, "…I love her…and it doesn't even matter…"

* * *

I ran into the main party's room and into Genesis, I stared at him, "Ha-Have you seen Cloud!"

"Um…That way?" Genesis said, pointing over his shoulder in the direction Cloud had gone, "But, Kat-!"

"Thanks, Gen!" I yelled as I ran off, needing to get it all out in the open at last, before anything else happened.

I walked through the balcony door when I'd seen Cloud. I smiled as I touched his shoulder, "Hey."

Cloud turned, slowly, and breathed, "…Kat."

I felt the flicker of confusion across my face, but I banished it, "Cloud? What's wrong…?"

It was a question I'd regret asking for the rest of my life.

He hesitated and then I saw rage cross his features. I took a step back, and I mentally made a note to stop doing that because I once again hit the wall behind me. He looked at me and suddenly went off.

"You go off for a couple weeks, completely afraid of him and then you come back and you're best friends? Then he's visiting you secretly and I find out through Rosa of all people?" Cloud asked, standing almost against me as I stared up at him. Cloud's blue eyes were full of fury, he was coming toward me slowly, and soon I was pressed against the wall behind me, "Kat…Sarah…"

That got my attention, I knew he wasn't talking about Sarah, but he was addressing me. I looked up, mouth falling open slightly, but he charged on, "I…I can't even begin to convey how _angry_ I am that he can even _look_ at you without feeling guilty! I can't understand how you've just…forgiven him for every single thing he did!"

I looked at him, my voice rising considerably, "Cloud, he is an important part of my life! I can't just…let go of everything!"

"But you're letting him back in!" Cloud snarled, his hands on the wall next to either side of my head, "You're…"

He shook his head, letting it drop so he was looking at our feet, but I took my hands and lifted his face so he was looking at me. I whispered as passionately as I could, "Cloud…He'll never mean what he once did to me. _Never_…because I…"

Cloud's eyes seemed to glow as I realized how close our faces were, but I went on, "…Because I love you…"

There was a moment of silence and then Cloud was shaking his head again, "…Kat…I wish…I wish I could believe that."

The blow hit simultaneously in my heart and gut, I murmured, "What?"

He moved away, turning his back on me, "I've seen the way he looks at you…and the way you react…He's still got his hooks in you…I can't believe that you have any kind of feelings for me, Kat…I'm sorry."

I took a sharp breath, trying to swallow back the sobs in my throat, and said, "So this is it…? That's all you've got to say?"

Cloud turned, looking at me, "…Yes. That's all I have to say."

I felt my lip quivering, but I shook my head, "Fine…Fine. I have somewhere else to be then. Bye, Cloud…"

I walked past him, he grabbed my arm and turned me toward him. We stared at each other a long moment…and then he said, "…I'm sorry."

I tore my arm from his grasp, "No, you're not. Because…you're just like _he_ was."

Cloud's entire face changed, from an angry, sad expression to completely blank and fearful, but he didn't move or say anything else as I left. I stormed back inside, a plan already formed in my head…and it was going to completely change everything.

'_Sarah…Rosa…I'm so sorry…'_

* * *

**So...nice reviews? :) *runs***

**~Sarah~**


	17. Goodbye

**So, I don't have much to say considering life hasn't been completely terrific at that moment. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Now to answer the reviews:**

**Myloveispurity8, Cloud has certainly messed things up, hasn't he? Well, we'll see if Kat can be stopped from her coming choices, but we know how devious she can be...Thank you for your compliments on the girls' dresses and for your review!**

**Loopylooploop, I would say don't be too angry at Cloud, but that was pretty much the reaction the girls had! :) Thank you for your praises and your review! Hope to see you again!**

**Russcull, I am beyond flattered by your praise! Thank you so much for your review and all the nice things you said! It truly made my day! Thanks again for your review and as you requested, here is the next chapter!**

**UnchainedMelody94, I'm so sorry! But here's a new chapter, however...I dunno if it'll make you feel better. :( Anyway, thanks for your review! :)**

**Evilly-innocent, thank you! It's always hard for me to come up with dress ideas considering I don't wear them often! Yes, Rosa interrupted Kat and Cloud's moment and Sephiroth's LOVELESS parody was pretty funny! As far as Kat and her happiness...Well, we'll see what happens, won't we? Anyway, thank you for your review!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it. **

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Goodbye**

I woke up the next morning disoriented, I knew what I had to do that day…but I wasn't ready to. My next move was going to destroy everything…was I ready to do that? Was I actually going to take that final step?

Yes.

I rolled over as I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, "Mm…Tifa…?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I've got to open the bar in an hour so I can't let you sleep any longer. It's going to get pretty loud."

I nodded, sitting up in the back room of 7th Heaven. I stretched, "Need any help?"

"Nah, I've got it. You should probably get up to the Shin-Ra building though," Tifa replied as she walked out the door, "Rosa and Sarah are going to be looking for you soon."

I'd told Tifa I was scared to sleep in my room alone, because Cloud hadn't come back to the room, and she let me crash at 7th Heaven. She told me I could stay as long as I needed. I was counting on that.

I went into the bathroom and changed into some clean clothes, then I went to the Shin-Ra building…

* * *

I stood in the elevator with Sarah and Rosa, both were talking animatedly about the party the night before. We went into Lazard's office to pick up our latest assignment for patrol and once we had the paperwork we started to leave.

I stopped halfway out the door, Sarah and Rosa both looked at me, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute."

Sarah gave me a look, one of those 'I-know-something-is-wrong-and-you're-not-telling-me' looks, but said, "Okay then…We'll hold the elevator."

I nodded, "Thanks."

I watched them walk down to the end of the hall before turning back. Lazard looked up at me in surprise, "Kat? You're still here?"

I replied, "I need to ask you about something."

Lazard's brow furrowed, "I take it this isn't good."

I only smirked.

* * *

"Can you _believe_ this crap?" Rosa said with a scowl a couple hours later as we sat at Tifa's bar, "All the 1st Class SOLDIERs have been ordered to attend the meeting about the Wutai Division! To 'supervise and keep the peace'? What bull!"

I snickered at her, taking a huge drink of whatever alcohol Tifa had given me, "What? Too much for you?"

Rosa waved a hand at me, "Oh, shut up! I'm only irritated because Lazard's lectures _suck_. All this is going to be is stinking reports, people being assigned, ratios, you know, crap! It's got nothing to do with us!"

Sarah shrugged as Tifa said, "Maybe they want you in there in case you have to go on a mission in Wutai?"

I nodded, pointing at Tifa, "That's a good idea. Maybe that's it."

Rosa crossed her arms, "I don't care. It's still bull crap."

I chuckled, Sarah rolled her eyes, and Tifa asked, "When is that meeting again?"

"Friday," I replied, "…Many of the Seconds are going to Wutai."

"You don't think they'd send Cloud, do you?" Sarah asked, concerned.

I shook my head, "Nah."

Rosa tilted her head, "You seem sure of that."

I smiled, "He doesn't speak their language. They're only recruiting people who speak it."

"They have a different language?" Tifa asked, confused.

"Nah, it's slang," Sarah answered with a shrug, "But you say the wrong thing…and it's game over."

"Ouch," Tifa hissed.

"Yeah," Rosa said leaning back a bit on her barstool.

I looked at her, "You're going to fall if you keep-"

_BOOM!_

"…doing that," I finished with a sigh, looking down at her.

Tifa and Sarah laughed as Rosa got back up, chattering angrily at them.

I simply grinned, keeping my laughter to myself…

* * *

The next day, Zack and I stood there, both looking confused, heads tilted to the side as we saw Genesis doing a handstand in the main lobby.

Zack looked at me, "Do…you want to ask…?"

I looked at him, "Um…Maybe you should…"

We both grimaced, then Angeal came over to us, "What's going on?"

I gestured at Genesis, "Need I say more?"

Angeal sighed and nudged Genesis's arm with his foot, "Hey, stand up right, you idiot."

Genesis did an odd jump with his hands and landed on his feet, "What? I was trying to break a world record! Sephiroth dared me!"

"Sephiroth…?" I asked.

Zack looked astonished, "…dared you?"

We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

* * *

It was the day before the meeting, and all I could really think about was what their reactions were going to be once it happened…Once I finally came out and explained my big plan…I stood in the middle of 7th Heaven, no one else was around because it hadn't opened yet, with my back to the door.

I shifted foot to foot unhappily, my arms crossed, "…I'm really going through with this…?"

"Going through with what?"

I turned quickly, meeting Sarah and Rosa's gazes as they both entered the bar. I laughed, scratching the back of my head, "Ah, nothing."

"Does it have something to do with Cloud?" Rosa asked, grinning.

I controlled my face as I laughed, scratching the back of my head, "Eheheheh, you caught me!"

"Ah! Kat! I'm so excited!" Rosa exclaimed, hugging me, "I can't wait till you two get together!"

I felt the dark expression flicker across my face for a split second before I recovered, hugging her back, "Yeah!"

Sarah nodded at me as Rosa released me, "You two are perfect for each other."

I beamed, '_Goddess, shoot me now…'_ "Really? You think so?"

Rosa nodded, "Totally!"

I moved forward, hugging them both at the same time. Both gasped softly, Sarah asked, "Kat…? Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah…I've just been thinking a lot lately and I just wanted to let you know…No matter what…I'm always going to be there for you both. We're sisters."

They both hugged me back and then we separated, Rosa nodded enthusiastically, "Of course we are! We're a team!"

I nodded back, less enthusiastic than Rosa, "Yeah."

'_I'm sorry…'_

* * *

The next day at three o'clock sharp the meeting started. There were tons of people in the conference room, we were all stationed around the outside of the room, against the walls. My position was in the front of the room by the podium where Lazard and the President would be speaking.

I saw Godo, Yuffie's father, as he nodded at me. I returned the gestured and then assumed my position. The others were waiting and then the President approached the podium, the entire room went silent.

"Today we are affirming the bond between the Shin-Ra Electric Company and Wutai. I would like to begin saying this, thank you to everyone who has made this possible. To Wutai and the employees who have agreed to go to Wutai in order to get things running. A notice for those who are going to Wutai, the helicopters leave less than half an hour from the end of this meeting, so be ready or you _will _be left," the President finished, many people clapped as he sat down.

Lazard stood and began talking about the percentages and ratios, such as it were. I looked around at each and everyone of my friends, that pit in my stomach seemed to get larger as the meeting back to reach its end. Then Lazard began announcing the positions of staff, starting from the lowest.

It went on and on until Lazard looked down at his paper one last time and said, "…and after much consideration and negotiations, General Sarah Kathleen Davis of SOLDIER has agreed to become the Director of SOLDIER in Wutai."

While everyone was clapping and cheering there was still an air of confusion about as I bowed next to Lazard. I knew what they were all thinking- '_What the hell? Kathleen has been assigned back to Wutai? What did she do wrong?'_

Then Lazard finished, "And to the SOLDIERs staying here in Midgar, contact me if you want to be in a seat of power such as General. We will evaluate your skills and rank you from there. Thank you and you are all dismissed."

There were low murmurs as Lazard looked at me. People were leaving or standing about talking, I kept an eye on the others as several tried to get to me, but there were enough people in the way to keep them at bay. Lazard spoke to me as quietly as possible, "Are you sure you want to leave?"

I smiled softly, I shook my head, "No, sir. I don't want to leave…but I have to. My time here…It's over."

Lazard looked at me sadly, "You and your team changed HQ forever…in a way no one will forget. Thank you, Kathleen, and I hope one day…Well, I hope one day you will return."

I smiled and hugged the Director, knowing that was the highest praise he'd given in a long time, "Thank you…Director…"

"No need to call me that now. You are a Director yourself," he replied, hugging me close.

I laughed quietly, pulling back from him, "Then would should I call you?"

"We're equals now. Just call me Lazard," he replied, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Then thank you, Lazard. Thank you for everything…" I whispered.

Lazard gestured at the young man standing beside me, "This is Kunsel, he'll be your second in command in Wutai. He and his team will escort you out now."

I nodded, turning to the tall, blond hair man. I frowned slightly, he reminded me of…I shook my head and then shook his hand, "Kunsel."

"Director," he answered, "We should go now."

I agreed and let his team surround me, slipping out the back door in all the confusion.

* * *

"What the fuck!" Rosa shouted once all the commotion started, Sarah wasn't listening she was trying to shove people out of the way. Rosa's eyes were stinging angrily with tears, "What the hell is she doing!"

Sarah was stuck, pushing someone else, "MOVE! I need THROUGH here!"

Zack had managed to keep by a couple of more people, just ahead of them. Sarah yelled at him, "Can you get to her!"

"No! There's way too many people! She probably planned it that way!" Zack yelled back.

When they finally reached the front of the room, Lazard was looking out one of the windows sadly. Sarah grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing the Director to look at her, "What the hell have you done! Where is she!"

Lazard pointed out the window, "At the helipad by now…"

Sarah gritted her teeth, turning angrily to face the back door she hadn't seen before. Rosa ran out first, the three were the only ones who'd made it the front by that point. They couldn't afford to wait.

They ran after their General in hopes to stop her.

* * *

The group around me was a bunch of men, all 2nd Classes, top of their ranks. There was a small man, whose name I didn't get, he asked me yet another question, "Director, we had to know if-"

"KATHLEEN!"

I turned, hearing Genesis's voice, and saw him run out of the elevators, "You can't go!"

I looked at him sadly as he lunged forward and grabbed my hand. The 2nd Classes around me all gasped or stared, I laughed silently as Genesis begged, "Sarah, Kathleen-whatever the hell you want to be called! You have to listen! Just because things happen…it doesn't mean you have to leave!"

"I was assigned-"

"Bull! Lazard wouldn't take you out of your own team if YOU hadn't requested it!" Genesis roared at me, he held my hand tighter, "Kat, you've got to stay…We need you..._He_ needs you."

I held Genesis's one hand with both of mine, "Gen…I'm sorry. I have to go…This is what I have to do."

I leaned forward, letting my lips brush his cheek, "Love you all. Goodbye…"

Then I walked out of the Shin-Ra Building…for the last time.

* * *

Kunsel and the 2nd Classes led me onto the top floor's helipad, carrying my bags to the helicopter, "Director, we'll be waiting to take off as soon as you're ready."

I nodded, following him half way across, "Yes, let's-"

"Kat! Wait!" Tseng's voice shouted behind me.

I stopped, looking at the 2nd Class, "Go on. I'll be there in a moment."

He nodded and left as I turned around to face Tseng one last time, "What do you want from me, Tseng?"

"Kat, you can't just…You can't just walk away!" Tseng said, grabbing my arm, "You are these women's leader! They'll be lost without you!"

I glared up at him, my bangs fell into my left eye, "Let go of me, Tseng! I'm leaving and you can't stop me!"

"Kat, I still love you!" Tseng whispered heatedly, his dark eyes glittered oddly, "Please, just stop for a second and hear me out."

I yanked my arm out of his grasp, "Don't you dare say that to me! Not you, Tseng! Not you…"

I felt the tears stinging my eyes, "You…always made things so much harder for me…I can't be with you like that again…"

"Kat…Listen to me," he said softly, his hands falling to his sides, "No matter what you think…I always loved you. I just didn't take the time to show you…I was so caught up in trying to become Director of the Turks…"

"It doesn't matter anymore! I'm don't love you like that anymore!" I exclaimed, staring at him as I backed up, toward the helicopter, "…I can't stay here."

Tseng stared at me, "They're your family, Kat."

I turned, the tears finally rushing free as I took that first step onto the helicopter, "Tell the girls… I'll miss them."

"I promise…" Tseng replied, his face withdrawn, "…Goodbye…Kat…Sarah…"

I sighed, hearing my name addressed at me, "Goodbye, Tseng."

I got onto the helicopter as someone shut the door behind me, it took off and I looked down at the helipad as many people rushed out of the President's office door. Sarah and Rosa's faces stared up at me, but I turned my face away and addressed the pilot, "Hurry. I want to get out of this city."

"Yes, Director," was the reply.

I closed my eyes, unable to think any longer…

And then I left behind my old life…and left for good.

'…_I hope one day…you can forgive me…'_

* * *

Sarah slammed the door open running out onto the helipad, Genesis and Tseng were already there. Rosa and Zack stopped as well. Zack was behind her, but Rosa stood next to her as they both watch the helicopter rising in the air…

Kat looked down at them, they were able to see her face, and then…she simply turned away. Sarah took a sharp breath, a tightness in her chest was beginning to throb, and then Rosa crashed to her knees. The tan woman stared as the helicopter disappeared into the sky…

"Why…? She said…we were family…That…we were a team…" Rosa whispered, tears streaming down her face, "…Why did she leave!"

Sarah knelt down next to her friend, willing herself not to cry as she hugged Rosa, "It's okay…Rosa, it'll be okay…"

"S-She didn't even say goodbye!" Rosa sobbed, hiding her face into Sarah's shoulder.

Sarah looked up at Zack, her own eyes stinging with tears, "…I can't believe it… That's why…she was acting so weird…I can see it now…"

Rosa just sobbed, Sephiroth eventually appeared and took Rosa back to their room.

Sarah rose to her feet, watching as her other friend was carried away. She turned staring back at the sky, "…She's really gone…"

Zack hugged her, she buried her face against his chest as tears escaped, "She actually left…without saying anything…"

Zack ran a hand through her hair as sobs wracked through her, "Sarah…I'm so sorry…"

Sarah just cried silently, unable to speak any longer. The anger, hurt, and betrayal coursing through her only confused her more. She tried to put it all together, but there were pieces missing…She could see it now, how weird Kat had been acting…All the little things…

"…_I just wanted to let you know…No matter what…I'm always going to be there for you both. We're sisters…"_

Sarah quieted after a few moments, thinking to herself, '_You lied, Kat…You're gone…and now I don't know what to do…You left…without even saying…goodbye…'_

Sarah and Zack were up there for a long time, just holding onto each other…

No one understood what had happened, but Sarah was one hundred percent sure that there was at least one person who did:

Cloud Strife.

* * *

**And so Kat has left the building...I have a feeling Sarah is going to be pissed when she comes face to face with Cloud again, but who knows? :) Don't be too angry with me or Cloud?**

**Three reviews to get an update soon, more than five and you get one that day or the next!**

**Review!**

**~Sarah~**


	18. And In Those Years

**Oh dear, many people seem to want Kat back or Cloud to be punished! Well...unfortunately this chapter is simply filler. Regardless, my rule stands. Three reviews for a quick update, five or more for the next day. Now onto reviews:**

**Loopylooploop, well, I can't say if Sarah and Rosa will go to Wutai or not. I can say Sarah is going to lose her temper with Cloud though! Anyway, thank you for your review! :)**

**ShatterTheHeavens, miracles seem to be on short supply at Shin-Ra, but we'll see what we can do! :) Thanks for your review!**

**Aliasmidnight, we'll see what Sarah and Rosa do, but I'm not sure they're going to have the time to go after their beloved leader. We'll have to see, and who knows? Maybe I've got one of those moments tucked away for the right moment? :) Thanks for your review!**

**Russcull,well, here is your new chapter as ordered! :) Thank you for your review!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

**And In Those Years**

Two weeks later…the team was still adjusting to the loss of one of their leaders… Even Lazard was having a tough time, twice he'd slipped up and had tried to split up the teams as 'Sephiroth's team and 'Kat's team. Each time Rosa would tear up, Sarah would scowl, and the atmosphere would become tense.

Kat was a taboo subject among the SOLDIERs now.

Sarah also discovered that Cloud had requested to be sent on a mission the morning Kat had left-he hadn't been back since. Her immediate reaction after that had been to corner Tseng.

She found the Turk outside the President's office one day, looking incredibly depressed. Sarah put her hands on her hips as she walked over to him, "Do you know _anything_ about why she did what she did?"

Tseng's dark eyes met hers, "…The only thing that would have made her bolt like that…is Cloud."

Tseng explained the conversation he'd had just before Kat had disappeared on the night of the party. Sarah scowled at him, but she nodded as she listened. She didn't question it because Tseng's version of events matched up with the little that Genesis knew as well.

The only thing left was to find Cloud.

Tseng's expression darkened, "The moment he comes back I'm going to find out what the hell he did to her."

Sarah didn't say anything for a long time, Tseng sighed, "I know you don't like me. You never have, but I never did _anything_ to make her run from you and Rosa."

"You made her choose between you, though," Cloud's voice sneered.

Sarah and Tseng both turned, slightly shocked, and saw Cloud walking out of the President's office. Sarah glared at Cloud, who looked surprised and asked her, "What's wrong with you?"

Tseng grabbed Cloud's collar and slammed him against the wall, "What the _hell_ did you do!"

Cloud stared at the other man coldly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sarah stood behind Tseng, her dark eyes full of malice, "Kat's gone!"

Cloud's entire expression changed, "What?"

Tseng looked at Sarah, the girl continued to look at Cloud, "You mean you don't _know_?"

"You…mean she's gone on a mission, right?" Cloud mumbled, looking confused and slightly fearful.

Tseng's grip on Cloud's collar increased, "No, you idiot! She's _gone_! She took the position as Director in Wutai!"

Cloud's eyes widened, "Oh, no…"

Sarah's face was full of rage, "What did you _do_!"

Cloud looked at his feet, relating everything. At the end, Tseng punched Cloud in the face. Cloud held a hand over his eye, "What the hell!"

"She wasn't _giving in_ to me! She was telling me she didn't care about me! Kat was in love with _you_ not me, you dumb ass!" Tseng roared, hitting him again.

Sarah crossed her arms, letting Tseng have his tantrum, "You took her away from us…because you didn't think all the facts through…Do you even realize what you've done?"

When Tseng was finished Cloud's face was a spattering of black and blue, but the 2nd Class didn't fight back. Cloud slumped to the floor, his hands in his hair, "…I'm an idiot…"

"Yeah," Sarah sneered angrily, "You are. Now she'll probably _never_ come back!"

The 1st Class turned on her heel and walked down the hall…

She was certainly close in her estimate.

* * *

_One Unread Email: April 15th, 2006_

'_Kat, _

_It's been nearly a month…Aren't you going to call or something? Rosa is worried about you…We know everything that happened now, you know…Lazard said if you want then you can come back, __he'll do the paperwork…_

_You should talk to Cloud…I think he's sorry for what he said…_

_Miss you._

_Sarah'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On April 29th, 2006:**

'**Hey, Kat! It's me, Rosa! I was just calling to see how you were doing…We hadn't heard from you in a while…Well, I miss you and so does everyone else! Call me back soon, okay?**

**Love you!'**

* * *

**One New Voicemail On May 3rd, 2006:**

'**Kat, it's Angeal…Uh…I'm not very good at talking on the phone, but I wanted to let you know we're thinking about you. Call us back soon, the girls are worried about you.**

**Later.'**

* * *

_One Unread Email: May 19th, 2006_

'_Kat, _

_Seriously, this isn't funny. You've been gone two months now and you haven't emailed or called anyone back. What's going on? Are you in trouble? Do you need help? Just talk to us already!_

_At least call Rosa on her birthday?_

_Sarah'_

* * *

_One Unread Email: May 30th, 2006_

'_Dearest Goddess, _

_How are you? I've had Angeal show me how this email thing works on the newest upgrade for our phones. I heard that your team designed them? Lazard seems to be the only one who hears from you anymore, but he says you're doing great at your post._

_Sarah is climbing up the walls. If you could just shoot some info her way, that'd be great. She just wants to know you're all right._

_Forever Yours,_

_Genesis'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On June 7th, 2006:**

'**Kathleen, it's Tseng. I don't know what is going on with you, but you really need to communicate with Sarah and Rosa. No, Sarah doesn't care for me, but she cares for you like a ****sister. You don't want to lose them…**

**I miss you…We all do.'**

* * *

**One New Voicemail On July 4th, 2006:**

'**Kat! It's Rosa again! We totally went and saw some fireworks! I wished on them for both of us, but I can't tell you what we wished for or it won't come true! Zack says hi! We love you! Call us back soon…okay?'**

* * *

**One New Voicemail On August 16th, 2006:**

'**It's Zack here! What's up, Kat? You don't like us any more or something? You're really starting to upset Sarah…Her birthday is in September…come visit her, okay? Well, I got to go! Angeal's doing that whole honor speech again!'**

* * *

_One Unread Email: October 2nd, 2006_

'_Kathleen, _

_Where are you? I've never been one for many words, but we are worried about you. It's been seven, almost eight months since we've heard from you. Rosa and Sarah need to know from _you _that __you are all right. If you aren't then just say so. Anything at this point would be helpful._

_If you'll talk to them they'll forgive you._

_Sephiroth'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On October 7th, 2006:**

'**Kat, it's Tifa here. I believe it's your twenty-fifth birthday! I wish you were here, the girls say hello! If you were here we'd totally have a party, but since you're not I'm just going to wish ****you a happy day and hope we hear from you. Visit us soon? Later, girl!'**

* * *

**Two New Voicemail(s) On December 30th, 2006:**

'**Kat, it's Sarah…I really don't know what to say anymore. I've pleaded with you several times…You missed Rosa's birthday, she was so sad…and I don't really care about mine, but you've missed mine as well…If you just don't care then at least call and say so…We'll just keep trying…Bye.'**

* * *

'**Kat! It's Rosa and Sephy, but he doesn't talk on the phone a lot-!'**_**-**_**'**_**Don't call me that!'-**_**'Any ways, I was just calling to hope you had a Happy Christmas and to wish you a new year! Love you!'**

* * *

_Two Unread Email(s):January 27th, 2007_

'_Kathleen, _

_The company is fixing to have its yearly update in March…We need you or a representative to come for the Wutai Division. It doesn't matter which, but I guarantee your friends would love it if you came._

_I don't know what's wrong with you…These people love you…I hope you'll reconsider my offer and come back to Midgar soon._

_Lazard'_

* * *

'_Kat, _

_The meeting is set in March. I don't know if you're going to show or not, but I wish you would. The only reason I know you're even getting these emails is because the company has your phone and email still on, unchanged…_

_Don't think I'm weird for checking either because they've all checked._

_Miss you._

_Tseng'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On February 14th, 2007:**

'**Kat, it's Tseng again. I just wanted to call and wish you a Happy Valentine's Day. Rosa's standing here and she wants to-' 'Kat! We love you! Come home! Please!' '-Hey! That's my arm! Erm…Anyway, contact us soon. Hopefully we'll see you in March. Bye.'**

**One New Voicemail On April 12th, 2007:**

* * *

'**Well, it's me, Sarah. Congratulations. You've officially pissed me off, Kat. It's been over a year since you've even **_**seen**_** us, but no. You won't even pick up the damn telephone and talk to us. It's bad enough that you even left without a goodbye, but you won't even say it over the phone? Over email? You're a real moron, Kat.'**

* * *

_One Unread Email:July 5th, 2007_

'_Kat, _

_It's Angeal again. Sorry…I would email you more, but judging by the others' reactions they aren't getting anywhere either. You know you're like a little sister to me, Kat, but you're crossing the line here. Answering the phone isn't that difficult. Even I can do that…_

_Just call for Christmas this year or something. You've already missed another of Rosa's birthdays and I'll bet you miss Sarah's next one as well…_

_I've got to go._

_Angeal'_

* * *

_One Unread Email:September 30th, 2007_

'_Kat, _

_It's Sarah's birthday. She's twenty-six this year…can't you just call her or email her? Didn't you once say she was your sister? You almost got yourself killed protecting her and now you're alienating her…_

_I'm thinking about asking her…_the _question…Do you at least have any advice for me considering that?_

_Zack'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On October 7th, 2007:**

'**Kat, it's Rosa! Oh my Goddess! I was totally going to call you yesterday, but we were at Tifa's and Zack **_**did it**_**! He asked Sarah to marry him! It was the cutest thing ever and she totally said yes! Sarah's not sure what to start with first though and you've always been good at these kind of things…Can you help her? Happy Birthday, by the way! But you **_**are**_** going to be here for the wedding…right?'**

* * *

**One New Voicemail On January 1st, 2008:**

'**Kathleen, this is Sephiroth. To be frank, I'm tired of putting up with this crap. Call Rosa. She's upset that you aren't answering her messages, but she's trying to hide it. You're supposed to be their leader…What is wrong with you?'**

* * *

_One Unread Email:March 2nd, 2008_

'_Kathleen, _

_It's that time of the year again. We need a representative or yourself to come to Midgar this next week. How is the extermination of the Silver Crescent going? I heard they're getting rather rambunctious in your area. We've had signs they're still in Midgar as well._

_Let me know what you decide?_

_Lazard'_

* * *

**Two New Voicemail(s) On February 14th, 2008:**

'**It's Tseng…I just wanted to let you know we all wish you a Happy Valentine's Day…Bye.'**

* * *

'**It's Sarah…and Zack, sort of, but he's asleep. You've probably heard from the others, but Zack asked me to marry him. I said 'yes'. I could really use your help with these plans and crap…I don't know where to start…Happy Valentine's Day, I guess…Night.'**

* * *

_One Unread Email:April 28th, 2008_

'_Dearest Goddess, _

_I just wanted to let you know you still have friends waiting on you back at home. It's been two years, you know…I guess it's pointless to ask you if you'll call us back…But it can't hurt right?_

_Call us?_

_Genesis'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On June 5th, 2008:**

'**KAT, IT'S ROSA! SEPHIROTH ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM! I am SO freaking ****excited! You HAVE to agree to be in the wedding or I'll track you down myself! We've been so busy since you left…there hasn't been any vacation time or Sarah would probably be at your doorstep! Hahaha…Well, I'm going to go celebrate with everyone now! Later!'**

* * *

**One New Voicemail On October 8th, 2008:**

'**Happy Belated Birthday, Kat! It's me, Zack. Uh…I don't honestly know what to say anymore…I always feel like I'm talking to myself…I wonder if you even listen to these messages anymore or if you just delete them…Nah, you wouldn't delete them. You're not like that…but then we never would've thought you'd leave either…Damn, now I'm confused…Later, I guess.'**

* * *

_Two Unread Email(s):February 14th, 2009_

'_Kat, _

_Happy Valentine's Day! Anyway Lazard will probably be emailing you soon about details for the meeting in March. Uh…We miss you…I miss you…_

_I know…you don't want to hear about it…but maybe you should try talking to Cloud. It's been three years. I know you two could patch things up…Sorry. It's not my place._

_Miss you._

_Tseng'_

* * *

'_Kathleen, _

_What's this I hear about the Hero of Wutai, Miss Davis? You took out an entire section of the Silver Crescent's top commanders by yourself? That's quite a feat! Before we know it the President will be handing my job over to you! Hahaha…_

_Anyway, the meeting is in a couple weeks. Same thing, same time. Send someone? Come yourself? _

_Later._

_Lazard'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On July 18th, 2009:**

'**It's Zack…I'm in the infirmary hallway…Professor Gast is looking at Sarah. We just got back from a mission dealing with the Silver Crescent's lower group. I don't remember what they called themselves, Leviathan's Devoted or something…Anyway, they tried to kidnapped Sarah about a week back, she freaking went with them so she could take out their base, and we just got her back…She succeeded, but I thought you'd want to know…but then maybe not…This **_**is**_** your ****jurisdiction and all…Bye.'**

* * *

**Two New Voicemail(s) On November 13th, 2009:**

'**Hey, Kat, it's Rosa…Um…I guess I just wanted to know if you might come home for Christmas this year…Probably not…Sorry. I'll go now.'**

* * *

'**Kat, it's Angeal. This has really gone too far, in my opinion, but that's not what matters. I ****guess what I wanted to say was this…I understand if you need time off to rearrange your thoughts, but don't cut yourself off from us. It's only going to make it harder when you come back…if you come back…I've just gotten a new assignment about the Silver Crescent's underground movements. What's going on, Kat? I thought you had this under control in Wutai, so why are these bastards here in Midgar? I've got to go. Later.'**

* * *

**One New Voicemail **and _One Unread Email _**On January 3****rd****, 2010:**

'**This is Lazard. I don't have any time to write you an email, but I trust you to remember about sending a representative in March. I've got to take care of the Silver Crescent troops that have left Wutai. Talk to you soon, Kat.'**

* * *

'_Kat, _

_I'm going to be on leave soon. I sustained an injury while fighting a Silver Crescent General __last week and the President has given me some time off. I won't be in contact for awhile so I wanted to wish you an early Happy Valentine's Day._

_Later._

_Tseng'_

* * *

_One Unread Email:March 15th, 2010_

'_Kat, _

_This marks the fourth year. Are you ever coming back?_

_Sarah'_

* * *

_One Unread Email:May 17th, 2010_

'_Kathleen, _

_I don't expect you to show your face for Rosa's birthday this year either, but I met someone back in March. I haven't had time to ask you about it, but this person was your representative from Wutai._

_Kunsel, I believe…A fine SOLDIER, but what exactly are you playing at? He looked a bit like…Well, I'm sure you know who. It really makes me angry that you can be around someone like that, but you can't call your family._

_Sephiroth'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On August 24th, 2010:**

'**It's Genesis, dearest Goddess! Things are really crazy around here at the moment so I thought I'd simply call instead of emailing you. Your branch is really updating the company's technology, aren't you? I couldn't figure out how to use these new touch screen things are first! Hahaha! Either way, I wish you the best. Farewell, Goddess!'**

* * *

_One Unread Email:November 30th, 2010_

'_Kat, _

_I'm not sure what to say…I usually call you and blurt out whatever the hell I'm thinking at the time, but emailing is hard. It's like I actually have to think about what I'm saying before I say it. I guess that's why you were always trying to make me use email instead, huh?_

_Well, I'm not liking the way this is going so I'm going to go._

_Later._

_Rosa'_

* * *

_One Unread Email:March 17th, 2011_

'_Kathleen, _

_We're having an emergency with the Silver Crescent here. The meeting for updates is next __week…Let me know what you decide._

_Lazard'_

* * *

**One New Voicemail On March 19th, 2011:**

'**Kat…It's Tseng. We need you here-Hello?'**

* * *

**Three reviews to five reviews. Remember that if you ever want to see Kat again. :)**

**Review!**

**~Sarah~**


	19. Midgar

**Okay, to clear up a bit of the confusion: No, Kat's not dead, we just don't know what's going on with her right now. Also, to answer some messages I received, I don't know where the notion that SARAH left came from, but she didn't. She's safe in Midgar with Zack, while Kat is parading around the globe. If there's anymore confusion leave a review, message, or possibly wait for new chapters? :) Now, to answer reviews:**

**ShatterTheHeavens, no, Kat's not dead. She's taking...a rather long vacation? Don't worry. I'm sure we'll see her soon-ish. After all, she's got a lot to make up for! Yes, Zack finally proposed! I'm so proud of him! :) Thank you for your review!**

**Aliasmidnight, don't tear out your hair, my friend! Kat would be devastated to hear that! Hopefully I can answer your request for Kat very soon! :) Thank you for your review!**

**Silverdragon98, thank you for your praise! And I'm sure we can arrange something as far as the return of our lovely hero goes...Just stick around and find out! :) Thank you so much for your review!**

**To the blank reviewer, no, Kat isn't dead. She's just out for the moment, but we'll learn all about that very soon! Thank you for reviewing! :)**

**UnchainedMelody94, oh, I can assure you that Sarah's wrath will greet Kat when/if she returns. We've all learned about Sarah's anger through Tseng, I believe. :) As far as to when she will be returning...well, we'll just have to wait and see. :) Thank you for your review!**

**Russcull, thank you! I really didn't want to do the whole 'a few years later thing', I feel like when that happens there's so much left out and I tried to come up with a way to prevent that! I'm glad it worked somewhat! :) Now, here's your daily dose of the girls! Thank you for your review!**

**Evilly-innocent, so many points to address, my friend! Yes, Kat and Cloud have probably created the biggest misunderstanding of a lifetime, but the others won't put up with it for much longer, I think. Everyone did try to talk to her, but Cloud, and I would like to think that it's because he simply didn't know what to say. He screwed up royally and doesn't really know how to fix it without making her angrier, you know? But the light in the darkness, Zack and Seph both proposed to Sarah and Rosa! :) Hopefully, you'll get some answers as far as Kat's disappearance in this chapter! Thank you so much for your review!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the wonderfulness that are my OC's and this plot. Beyond that, no, definitely not.**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Midgar**

Sarah ran her fingers through her long, dark hair as she stared at the city from her window. Her dark eyes inspected everything; the Reactors, the people, the buildings, and right now she could see Rosa at the bottom of the building jumping up and down as Sephiroth shook his head.

Sarah smiled sadly, it had been five years since things had changed…and they'd managed well enough. It hurt like hell, but life went on. She spotted the engagement ring on her own finger and smiled to herself again, wondering where Zack Fair was. She crossed her arms and sighed heavily.

Arms wrapped around her waist from behind, a chin rested on her head, and a smooth voice asked, "What's wrong?"

"Just thinking," she answered quietly.

Zack smiled against her hair, "You do that a lot."

She laughed quietly, turning in his embrace to face him, "You'd think you of all people would know at least that by now."

Zack snickered and kissed her once, "We need to get going. The others are getting restless."

Sarah sighed and removed herself from his grasp, picking up her bag from their bed, "Where _are_ we going again?"

"To patrol the area outside of Midgar," Zack said, making it sound grand as he locked the door behind them. They walked down the hall hand in hand as he said, "We are to take out any of the Silver Crescent if we see them, blah-blah-blah."

Sarah laughed, leaning against his arm as they got in the elevator and he pushed the button, "Nice. So we're finally going to get to fight something?"

"Probably, but you know, I'd rather you stay out of danger," Zack replied, giving her a puppy dog look.

She wagged a finger at him, "No way, mister! You taught me how to do that, it automatically makes me immune."

"Not completely," he replied, continuing to pout.

She rolled her eyes, "Such a dork."

"Hey, you're the one marrying so-said-dork," Zack pointed out as they got off the elevator.

"True enough," she remarked as they walked outside and ran into the others.

Rosa had cut her hair sometime back, giving her slightly wavy, dark, neck length hair, but other than that she looked the same. She bounced on the heels of her feet, "Can we _go_? I'm so bored!"

Sephiroth quickly agreed, "Please? The boredom affecting her is killing me."

The four snickered as Genesis and Angeal walked over from inside, the dark haired man nodded, "Let's get this show on the road."

Sarah frowned, "Where's Cloud?"

Rosa pointed over her shoulder, "He had orders to go on alone."

"Why?" Zack asked, his brow creased.

Rosa shrugged, "I don't know."

They all headed for the exit, Sarah's only reply was, "That's so helpful."

Rosa chuckled, "I know, right?"

The group of six left Midgar and began the long trek around the city. They'd left through the 5th Reactor Gate, by night fall they'd only made it to the 6th Reactor Gate. The party made camp and a fire, sitting around it.

It was Angeal who said, "You know…the company is having it's annual meeting this week."

Sarah shook her head, "So?"

Sephiroth had a hopeful look on his face, "Maybe _she_ will show up?"

"Not even," Rosa said darkly, "She hasn't come in five years…what's different about this year that would change that?"

Silence engulfed the area once more…

Genesis beamed suddenly, "I can totally retell LOVELESS!"

"No!" Everyone shouted, some snickering in laughter.

Genesis crossed his arms and pouted, "So rude…"

Everyone chuckled, the darkness increasing. Sarah stood up, "I'll take first watch."

"You sure?" Zack asked, looking at her with concern.

She nodded, "Yeah."

The group split up, going to their separate tents. Sarah sat outside, looking at the stars, a deep frown set on her face. Zack came back, sitting beside her, an arm around her waist as she leaned against him. He rested his head against her own, "You're still thinking about her, aren't you?"

"Mm…" She answered softly, watching the twinkling lights, "Five years…I didn't think she could do it…"

"She'll be back," Zack said quietly, running his hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture, "With Kat it's all about timing, you know that. She'll come back when she's ready."

"But she hasn't called…What if she's hurt? Dead?" Sarah asked quietly.

Zack snorted suddenly, "Kat? Dead? I don't even think that's possible."

She smiled, "Yeah…You're right."

Zack turned, kissing her forehead, "Get some rest."

Sarah shook her head, "You. I can take watch."

Zack frowned at her, she looked at him, and finally they both said, "Together?"

They laughed quietly and did the night watch, nothing happened. Everyone got up and began packing, getting ready to travel for the day. Sarah waved everyone forward, "You guys go ahead, I've got to pack up the rest and make a phone call."

Zack frowned, Rosa did too, "Are you sure? It could be dangerous out here."

"Nah, it's cool. No one attacked us last night, I doubt they would in daylight," Sarah shrugged.

Zack gave her a long look, "Fine…but if you're not with us in fifteen minutes, we're coming back for you."

Sarah rolled her eyes, waving them off, "Go on."

The group did what she said, walking over the large hill to the east. Sarah worked on getting her backpack back together. About five minutes later, she bent down, diminishing what was left of the fire…and heard it. Someone had taken a step right behind her…and it wasn't a SOLDIER.

The step was too heavy, they weren't controlling their breathing, the person didn't have the telltale scent of Mako…

No, this scent was of Wutai.

She reached for her sword, spinning at the last second to intercept the sharp ended spear as it neared her head. She ground her teeth together as she shoved the man back, in his Silver Crescent uniform and muttered to herself, "Goddess, I hate it when I'm wrong!"

The man lunged at her again, but with a simple spin she cut him through the back. He let out a roar of pain and fell to the ground unceremoniously, Sarah put her foot on his throat, "Are you alone?"

The man's eyes were nearly closed, but he hissed, "Shin-Ra scum…"

She stabbed him in the chest, a cold look on her face, "Now, that wasn't very nice."

That's when she sensed at least three others, her eyes lifted slowly to see one in front of her. She could sense two behind her as well, she exhaled in irritation, "What the hell…?"

She had at least ten minutes before help came…and she was surrounded by what looked like three Generals.

The one in front of her looked like he was the one in charge, he pointed his spear at her, "Sarah Neil of the Shin-Ra forces, one of the people to end the war and put Wutai in eternal shame, your life ends here!"

"You wish," she sneered, brandishing her weapon at him. The two behind her rushed at her, she used her Materia and lashed out at them, lightning electrocuting the two to death. _'Thank the Goddess I leveled my Materia up to Master…'_

But while she'd been concentrating on that the General in front of her swiped at her. She jumped back quickly, but the spear knocked her sword from her hands. She couldn't use her Materia again so soon, either. She dodged the long spear again and again until the bastard swiped at her feet, she stumbled and hit the ground.

She looked up, glaring at the man, "You won't get away with this."

The Silver Crescent general smirked, he raised his spear above Sarah's head, "Die, Shin-Ra scum!"

Sarah felt panic set in, she had no gun and no sword. She had no weapon, and suddenly she knew she was going to die. She closed her eyes and thought to herself, _'Kat…I wish we'd gotten to talk one last time…Everyone, I'm sorry…'_

"ARGH!"

Sarah's eyes flashed open, she looked up at the commander and saw he had a blade sticking through his chest. He gasped, choking on his own blood, and slumped to the ground. A young woman stood where he'd been, her long bronze hair blew in the breeze behind her, sharp emerald eyes gazed at her, and a familiar voice said, "Sorry I'm a little late, but this is _my_ jurisdiction."

Sarah's eyes widened and she gasped-

"Kat!"

Director and General Sarah Kathleen Davis stood there, the light hitting her just right to make her look oddly angelic in that moment, but Sarah knew Kat was anything but. The General knelt on one knee, reaching out and touching the huge gash on Sarah's forehead, "Damn, kid…That's one hell of a wound you've got there."

"Kat…? Is that you…?" Sarah whispered, unable to believe this person before her was indeed Kat.

The gentle smile on the woman's face told her everything, "…Yeah, it's me."

Sarah stared at her and then launched her fist at Kat's face. The General stumbled back, holding a hand to her cheek, "…I guess I deserve that."

"FIVE YEARS!" Sarah roared, getting to her feet slowly, "AND NOT EVEN A PHONE CALL!"

Kat only sat on the ground, looking up at Sarah, "I'm sorry if this sounds harsh…but if you don't shut up you're going to get us killed. You'll have plenty of time to hit me later if we live through this. Until then you _have_ to follow all of my orders. You do not know what's going on here."

Sarah stared at her, "How dare you-!"

"Do you understand?" Kat repeated, getting on her feet in a flash.

Sarah ground her teeth angrily, "…Got it,_ Director_."

Kat ignored the jibe and grabbed her walkie-talkie attached to her shirt, "Kunsel, this is Kat."

"Director, this is Kunsel. We have your position and are heading your way," a voice said back.

Kat nodded to herself, "We will await your arrival."

Sarah looked at Kat out the corner of her eye. It had been five years and it certainly showed on Kat, she looked stressed. She was thinner, as if she hadn't eaten in days, and quiet…It wasn't Kat. This woman standing beside her would never have taken that blow to the face without striking back…

She was wiser.

Kat was a Director.

The Director suddenly turned, looking at Sarah, "…I don't expect you to forgive me…but I wanted to tell you I was sorry…I kept putting it off, coming back, and I shouldn't have-"

Sarah opened her mouth, going to respond when she saw a figure behind Kat. She assumed it was this 'Kunsel', but then it raised its arms above its head, "Kat! Look out-!"

Then the world tilted oddly for Sarah…and she didn't feel anything more.

* * *

I opened my eyes, remembering the seconds just before the black out. I forced my body into a sitting position, gasping, "Sarah!"

There was a groan to my left, I turned my head, but I couldn't see very well. My hands were bound in front of me and when I craned my neck to stretch I hit my head on something. There was darkness, with small strands of light shimmering through from somewhere. I whispered, not sure what was going on, "…Sarah…? Are you okay…?"

"Goddess…" she hissed to herself, I exhaled in relief, and she murmured, "What the hell happened?"

She forced herself to sit up and in the little light in the room I could see that for some reason her hands were bound _behind_ her. She looked over at me and alarm flitted across her face, "What are _you_ doing here?"

I rolled my eyes, gesturing with my bound hands at our predicament, "Isn't it obvious? I'm saving your ass."

Almost as if she didn't remember what had happened before, Sarah snarled at me, "You go off for _five years_ and then you show up like everything is okay?"

I shifted my weight so I could crawl on my knees, "I never said that. You just assumed, like always."

I looked around the small room with a frown, talking more to myself than her, "…Where are we?"

She scoffed, looking into the darkness somewhere, "Some rescue mission…"

I glared, "You're the one who didn't tell me there was a Wutai soldier behind me!"

"What are you _talking_ about! I couldn't see him through your fat head!" She exclaimed, glaring at me in anger, "Why _are_ you here, Kat? What the heck is so important that you ignore all of us for five years, but you can show up now to save the day?"

I sighed in annoyance, I need her to be quite for _one_ second, "…You know something? I'll make you a deal. If we make it out of this alive then I'll tell you everything that happened from the moment I left, but I need you to just be quiet for two seconds."

Sarah's dark eyes followed me as I pushed against the wall to my left, "…Did… Did you even miss us?"

I froze, thinking my answer through all the way. I couldn't get into a lengthy, tear filled explanation right now. Then I thought to myself, _'Now that isn't the 'Kat' way.'_ A smile played at my lips, "…You have no idea."

That seemed to ease the tension just a little bit, "…Did you get our messages?"

Distracting as always, I ran my hands at the bottom of the floor and felt a crack, dirt under my knees, and I answered, "…Yes, I did."

She was still looking at me, "…And you never answered?"

_'Damn it, Sarah, we don't have _time_ for this!' _"I couldn't. I wanted to, believe me I wanted to…but things spiraled out of control after I left Midgar…" I shook my head, managing to claw my fingers under the crack, feeling wood. A fleeting moment of confusion washed through me, "A box. We're in a freaking box."

"A box?" Sarah asked, confusion plain in her voice.

I cursed under my breath, everything was falling into place, "Damn it. They weren't after you, they were after me. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Sarah blinked, "What the hell did you do to have people chasing you?"

I laughed darkly, putting my weight against the box's side, "You…really don't want to know."

"Kat," Sarah said, in a tone I once recognized, and then I realized she was trying to move. Trying to get over to where I was to help me, "We're in this with you now."

I scowled, "Don't move. You're hurt."

Sarah scowled right back at me, "Just like you, isn't it? To disappear and come back, barking orders the entire time…"

I smirked, looking back at her as I sat against the box, trying to undo my bindings, "You've really got no idea. It's the way I am now…Wutai changed me, Sarah. I'm not the same Kat you used to know…and you're not going to like who I've become."

"That's not true-" she started, but something in my expression made her reconsider, "…It's bad isn't it? Like _really_ bad?"

I managed to snap whatever had been holding my wrists, but I could feel the burns and what felt like blood resting there now. I put my hands on the box again, my ear against the wood as I tried to listen, "It's worse than you can imagine…but like I said, you get the truth once we're out of here."

I checked for my possessions, my walkie-talkie was gone from my shoulder, but my tracking device was still on my belt. I looked at Sarah, "Kunsel and the others should be here soon. He'll get you out-"

"Not without you!" Sarah said, a set expression on her face, "We've already lost you once…Rosa would kill me if I let you go again."

I only looked at her, "…Yeah, I guess she would."

I crawled over to her and said, "Hold on. Let me get these things off you so you can move a little."

I quickly undid the bindings and then sat on the other side of the box where I'd been before. Sarah scowled again, a frequent reoccurrence it seemed, "…You know, they knock us out with spears, kidnap us, and they can't give us a bigger box?"

I snorted, laughing for the first time in forever, "Oh, Sarah, that's wonderful. You're such an optimist."

"Hey," she said with a shrug, "I do what I can."

There was a scuffling sound from outside, I looked at her, "That's your exit."

The side I had been leaning against disappeared, I moved to the other side where Sarah was as Kunsel's somewhat tanned face peered into the box. He ran a hand through his blond hair, Mako blue eyes stared at us, "Hey, Director. Sorry we were late. You all right?"

I nodded and pushed Sarah gently out of the box, "Yeah, I'm fine. This is Sarah, an old friend of mine, take care of her while I wrap things up here."

Kunsel helped Sarah out and onto her feet, Sarah was staring at Kunsel openly, she was clearly thinking, _'Holy crap…He looks like Cloud.'_

I climbed out of the box, stretching and one of my other guys, Jack, handed me my sword and my gun, "Thanks. Now get out of here."

Kunsel had his hands on Sarah's shoulders, but he looked over her head at me, "Damn, boss, you've got a wound on the back of your head. They really must have gotten you off guard."

I rolled my eyes, "Get out of here. I've got some business to take care of."

Kunsel looked at the team, nodded, and they began to move out. No questions asked…One of the perks to being Director, I guess.

Sarah was staring at me as Kunsel began to pull her away, "Kat, don't make me go. You need back up."

Kunsel laughed, I glared at him darkly, but he said, "The Director? Need back up? For an old friend you certainly haven't seen her fight!"

"Kunsel," I said quietly.

"Right, boss."

Sarah stared at me still, "…You're coming back with us…right?"

I didn't reply, I just looked down.

She scoffed, disgust in her voice, "Then you really have changed."

I shook my head, "…I promised I'd tell you what happened…didn't I?"

She blinked, almost caught by surprise, "Y-Yeah…"

"Then go," I repeated once more, watching as they disappeared.

I looked around the room. I was in a warehouse of sorts, Wutai soldiers all in the floor, dead.

I turned my back on the scene heading deeper into the Wutai soldiers' base, I had to finish what I started five years ago…

* * *

Sarah looked up at Kunsel as he helped her walk, but she noticed now the dull throbbing in her leg. She glanced down and saw the torn leg of her pants, blood splattered down the fabric.

_'Kat must have noticed and not said anything,'_ Sarah thought to herself right before her feet left the ground.

She looked up at the blond man as he carried her, Kunsel, she thought his name was. He only replied, "Sorry, Miss. It's just easier to move this way."

Sarah didn't say anything for a long time, but then she had to ask, "You seem like you know Kat well."

"I wouldn't say that," Kunsel replied as he moved, following the other SOLDIERs, "I think she just trusts me. As a comrade. Anything she tells me beyond that is…very rare. She's very secretive, the Director."

"Why do you call her that?"

"Director? That's what she is," Kunsel answered, his eyes still ahead of him, "I just never found it appropriate to call her anything else. She seems to be a very formal person."

_'Kat? Formal?' _Sarah frowned, "Seems like things have changed more than I thought…"

"The Director is the Hero of Wutai," Kunsel said suddenly, "She began her efforts to wipe out the Silver Crescent after she was taken nearly five years ago. We'd just arrived in Wutai when it happened. She came back differently."

"Taken?" Sarah asked, recalling her own incident with Leviathan's Devoted.

Kunsel nodded, "Kidnapped. She was gone for months…The main building sent in some of the Turks, I believe. They saved her and brought her back to us in one piece. The Director is strong, she cares about those around her as well. She's an excellent leader."

Sarah frowned as they exited the building, hidden outside of Midgar, near Kalm, "Where are my friends…?"

"A gentleman named Zack Fair and his party are waiting with the other half of our team," Kunsel answered quickly.

Sarah sighed in relief, they were okay, "Can I please go to them?"

Kunsel nodded, walking on, "Any order from you is like an order from the Director."

Sarah arched an eyebrow and let him take her to what looked like a camp. There in the middle of several tents and twenty or thirty people were the others. Zack looked alarmed as Kunsel appeared with Sarah. The raven haired man took Sarah from Kunsel, hugging her close, "Dear Goddess, what on Gaia happened to you!"

She shook her head, "I'm fine. Just a little scratched up."

"Who _are_ these people?" Zack murmured to her once he was one hundred percent sure she was okay.

"Troops…" Sarah said quietly, "Did you find Cloud?"

Zack had a worried look on his face, "No, why? He's capable of taking care of himself."

"Yeah, so am I and I got captured," Sarah hissed, "So…they've probably got him, too?"

"…Probably," Zack said, a look of horror on his face, "We have to go get him-"

"Someone is already on it…" Sarah said, a strange and horrid expression on her face.

Zack frowned, looking at her, "Who?"

Sarah looked at the others and then him…

"Kat."

* * *

**I would just like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! According to my stats the last chapter got eight reviews and I can tell you I did a happy dance, then I sat down and read over this chapter so I could post it! :) Anyway, three reviews for a chapter soon, five or more for the next day! If the responses keep coming back like that then I'll have this story posted before the end of the week! D: I haven't finished writing the sequel just yet! Ahhh! I better get to work!**

**Review! :)**

**~Sarah~**


	20. The Reunion

**I am so sorry for the wait, but I was checking to see if anymore reviews would come in and then I was extremely busy. Sadly, only four reviews came in compared to the ten reviews for Chapter Eighteen. :( It made me sad. I'd really love to see this story get 100 reviews! :) If you can do that then I'll definitely post the sequel! Deal? Okay, onto reviews:**

**The two reviews from Chapter Eighteen that were left out:**

**Lore, Kat has returned and is wreaking havoc as we speak! The next chapter is here and for the hug, I shall give you a hug back! :D -hugs- Thank you for your review!**

**Myloveispurity8, your language is fine, my friend! Rosa and Sarah could tell you that I swear like a sailor if I don't pay attention to what I'm saying! :) As for Kat, she is very bust and in the Midgar area as we speak! Thank you for your review!**

**Now for Chapter Nineteen reviews:**

**Russcull, yes, Kat's changed, but I think in certain areas the change will be for the better. Things are picking up again and I'm sure if Kat and Cloud will reunite...even if it's an unwilling reunion at that! Thank you for your review!**

**Silverdragon98, their reactions should be grand! As you wish, here's an update! :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Loopylooploop, yes, the site has been a real pain lately! I've had loads of trouble loading new chapters and reviewing many of my favorite stories, but hopefully it'll be fine for awhile! As for Kat and the seriousness, well, I think she's always had that side of her hidden away and now it's emerging full force. Hopefully, we'll have the old Kat back soon enough? Thanks for your review!**

**Evilly-innocent, Kat tends to have perfect timing when it comes to things, no? :) Yes, I'm sure Kat is going to experience the full extend of Rosa and Sarah's frustration soon enough, and as far as forgiving Kat...Well, they _are_ like family, I'm sure they'll come around. :) Thanks for reviewing! **

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters created by Square Enix or anything else they wish to lay claim on, but I do own an adorable Cloud plushie thanks to Rosa! :D**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

**The Reunion**

"WHAT?" Rosa screeched, her voice rising through more octaves than Sarah could count.

"It's a long story," Sarah sighed quietly.

"I believe we have time," Sephiroth murmured.

Sarah explained everything that happened since they separated; being attacked by the Silver Crescent, Kat saving her, the capture, and finally being saved.

Everyone gaped at her, then Angeal said, "So…Kat just appeared out of no where with all of these men by coincidence?"

"She made it seem like she was running from those guys," Sarah replied, gesturing at the way she'd come, "The Silver Crescent, I mean. But she said she was coming back with us for a little while at least."

"But…Kat…she doesn't know Cloud is probably down there…does she?" Rosa asked, looking afraid, "If she's as different as you say she is…then there's going to be trouble…"

Sarah looked back at the entrance to the base and frowned again, "Let's hope she's changed just enough to control her temper…"

* * *

I kicked another Wutai soldier out of my way after I'd finished him off, my hair was falling into my face and it was getting annoying, "Goddess, while I'm in Midgar I should get a haircut…"

I ducked through another metal door that was abnormally small, looking around. I saw a large metal clad room with what looked like prison cells. One of which looked occupied. I checked the room once before entering the main area, I frowned to myself, _'Cameras…They're waiting for me.'_

It looked like this was simply an ambush, this whole operation. In other words…I'd fallen for a trap. They'd threatened the people I'd cared about most, got me into unfamiliar territory…and then attacked. It was a good plan…but that meant their leader wasn't here.

There wasn't a point for me to even be _in_ Midgar if that bastard wasn't here.

But naturally, like an idiot…I'd made contact with one of them and now I was screwed. I'd be stuck in freaking Midgar for at least a week…and that meant I had to attend Lazard's meeting. Goddess, I hated Lazard's lectures.

I heard a grunt from across the room, where the cell was. I crouched down behind a crate, watching. The figure moved, sitting up, but it didn't say anything…I moved around the outside of the perimeter of the room, I already had a set of keys I'd taken from the guard outside this room, they were probably to this cell.

I could simply hear it now, _'Oh, Kathleen, you're doing such a great job. You're the Hero of Wutai, you're taking out the Silver Crescent, _and_ you're saving people who have been kidnapped! We should promote you to Midgar!'_

Yeah, right.

It was all bull. I didn't even know how I got that stupid title, 'Hero of Wutai', all I'd done was manage to screw everything up…I took out my gun, making sure the silencer was secure, aiming carefully and took out the cameras. I put my weapon away and walked over to the cell, "Are you alright?"

The person was a man, but he was too far in the cell for me to see his face, "W-What?"

"Who do you work for?" I asked, getting annoyed.

"Shin-Ra…" He answered.

I unlocked the door, "I'm General Kathleen of SOLDIER and I'm here to escort you out of the building. I-"

The man moved into the light, Mako blue eyes staring at me in stunned silence.

I stared right back, taking a step back in horror…

_"Cloud!"_

* * *

"The Director!" Someone shouted from ahead of the group.

Sarah and the others all looked up, a bronze haired figure walked toward them, another person with her. The blond with her had an arm around her shoulders, being half carried back to the camp.

Rosa spoke in a hushed, breathless voice suddenly, "…It really is her…"

"She looks so different…" Zack murmured from beside Sarah.

There was an air of tension as several of the men around the group ran over to the two limping their way over. Kunsel was the first at the site, two men took the blond man from Kat, but Kunsel was the one to help Kat into one of the many medical tents set up. The other men took the blond into a different tent.

Sarah looked at Zack, "Can you help me…?"

He nodded, carrying her piggyback style, which naturally made her blush, toward the tents. One of the men who'd rescued Sarah was standing outside one of the two tents, he nodded at her, "Your comrade is inside. Our medics are treating him."

"Cloud," Rosa said quietly.

They all filed into the room, Cloud was laying on the cot while a man used Materia to fix the large wound across his shoulder and then leg. The blond had blood smeared in his hair as well, he opened one of his eyes and looked at the others, "…Hey, guys…"

Zack shook his head, tightening his grip on Sarah, "What the heck happened, man? You haven't been jumped since you made 1st like three years ago!"

Cloud shook his head gingerly, "I don't know…It just happened."

"Yes, I have the feeling that these newer troops appearing are more experienced than the ones we've faced before," the medic said suddenly, causing the others to look at him, "If they got the one up on both two 1st Classes _and_ the Director, then they clearly aren't grunts."

Cloud's face became withdrawn at the comment, but Rosa said, "Um…Can we see her?"

"The Director? Well, that would have to be discussed with Kunsel, he's in charge of her security," the medic answered.

Zack looked at Cloud, "…You going to be okay?"

Cloud nodded, an arm over his eyes, "Yeah."

The group slowly trickled out, heading to the other tent. One of the two guards standing outside of it waved them through, "Kunsel already gave the okay for your admittance."

Zack turned, looking at the men, "I think we should stay out here…for now. Sarah, Rosa, and Kat have a lot to discuss."

They agreed, unhappily, and Zack gently set Sarah on her feet, "Just call if you need us."

Rosa helped Sarah into the room. Kat was sitting up, her teeth mashed together as a different medic healed her head, Kunsel had a hand on her shoulder. Kat looked up at them and sighed before turning back to the medic, "You can finish this later."

The medic looked uncertain, glancing at Kunsel and then Kat, "All right then…"

The medic left, Kunsel went to follow, but turned and told Kat, "If you need me you know where to find me."

She nodded, "Yes. You're dismissed."

Then it was just the three of them in the small room…

Sarah crossed her arms, "Okay, we're out and alive. Spill the beans."

Kat dropped her gaze, "I'd like to start off by saying I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left the way I did-"

"You shouldn't have left at all!" Sarah snapped viciously.

Rosa was quiet, that made the two quarreling women look at her. Kat tilted her head, trying to force a smile, "What's wrong, Rosa?"

The tan girl was staring at Kat with wide eyes, filled with tears, "…You're…really…here…"

A shocked expression crossed Kat's face as Rosa flung herself at her. Kat caught her as Rosa hugged her, "Kat…you're really here! I thought…I thought we'd never see you again! You never called! You never…never…"

Kat looked uncomfortable as she looked at Sarah, but slowly she hugged her old friend back, "Rosa…It's okay. I'm here now."

The older girl sobbed quietly, Kat exhaled as she became more comfortable with the situation, "…It's okay…I promise…"

Rosa pulled back, grabbing Kat's face with her hands, the younger woman's face full of shock, "You're such an idiot!"

Kat laughed darkly, her face full of some emotion that Sarah and Rosa couldn't understand, "Yeah…I know."

Rosa let her go and stepped back, the three women just looked at one another for a long time. Kat sighed suddenly, a hand at her forehead, "Ugh. I'm such an idiot, you need seats."

"Kat, it's okay-" Rosa started, but Kat waved a hand in her direction.

"Nonsense," Kat replied, she picked her radio up off of the cot and called out for chairs. Two men came in about two seconds later with stools, set them down for the girls and left with bows to Kat.

"Erm…Thanks," Sarah said after sitting down.

Kat shrugged, her green eyes full of mystery, "It's nothing…It's the least I could do…"

Sarah crossed her arms, Rosa stared at Kat, and the young Director only shook her head, "…Where to begin…?"

"The beginning seems like an excellent place," Rosa said brightly, still rubbing at her eyes.

Sarah nodded, "I agree. The beginning."

Kat exhaled, "All right…The beginning…"

And things would never be the same.

* * *

_**Five Years Before**_

I stepped off the helicopter with Kunsel's help, he still disturbed me with his looks, but I'd had time to check his background during the ride. He was a decent SOLDIER, close to making 1st with a couple years of training…

Yeah, we'd see about that.

There were several Wutai ambassadors waiting on me, they bowed and shook my hand, all had pleasant smiles…Then, within the first twenty minutes, I pushed an ambassador out of the way. The old man glared at me, but I pointed to where he'd been standing-a bullet was embedded into the concrete. His eyes widened and I directed everyone to take cover somewhere safe.

Kunsel was at my side, "Director, what do we do?"

I looked up, searching for the culprit, but the ambassador I'd pushed whispered, "The Silver Crescent have been extremely active here ever since word got out that you'd be Director here, Miss Davis."

I scowled, "Awesome…I've got the secret forces of old Wutai against me…"

I looked at Kunsel, "Have some of the men patrol the area, make sure the other officials are taken care of. I'll take care of the ambassador."

He nodded, sneaking around and giving orders. Less than ten minutes later one of my men called out, "Director! We've found the shooter!"

"Bring him here and secure the building!" I shouted, standing, helping the ambassador to his feet, "Forgive me, sir, for acting so rashly."

"You saved my life, Director, I think it is I who should be apologizing to you," he said, giving me an appraising look.

The men under my orders dragged a handcuffed man before me. He was tan with dark, cropped hair, his brown eyes were directed at the ground, and he was large. He must have been six foot tall, but he was on his knees now as the SOLDIERs directed him to a stop.

I saw the crescent moon tattoo on his forearm and inhaled sharply, "To what do I owe the pleasure, for a high ranking individual of the Silver Crescent to attempt an assassination?"

A slow grin spread over the man's face as he stared at the ground, "…To whom do I speak?"

I didn't answer, Kunsel stood beside me, "I believe she asked you a question."

"I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours," the man hissed at me, his dark brown eyes finally looking up at me. I felt a chill run up my spine, I turned to Kunsel, whispering, "Patrol the building, inside and out. I don't like this."

Kunsel gave the order and returned to my side, the Silver Crescent agent only looked at me, "For a lady you really have no manners, you know."

I scoffed, "For a gentleman you really don't have any either. I believe I asked you a question first."

"I know who you are," he said suddenly, "I just wanted to greet you properly before I take your life."

I arched an eyebrow, Kunsel snapped furiously, "You will hold your tongue, heathen!"

I crossed my arms, never diverting my gaze from him, "Who am I then?"

"First female operative of SOLDIER, General and 1st Class, now Director, Sarah Kathleen Davis. Called Kat for short, age twenty four, once engaged to Turk Director Tseng," the man rattled off, I was surprised by the information he had, but I didn't respond as he went on, "You're close with two other female operatives, Sarah Neil and Rosa Saldivar. You're friends with 1st Classes Sephiroth, Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, and Zack Fair; as well as 2nd Class Cloud Strife. Your promotion was sudden and unwanted by most of the men in Wutai, as well as the underground factions including the Silver Crescent. Do I need to go on, Miss Director?"

I tilted my head, _'Well, whoever gave them this information isn't a spy or else they'd know a lot more…' _"No, I don't think that will be necessary. Might I know the name of the man that tried to kill me?"

A dangerous glint came into his eye, "Delarus Leviathan, Leader of the Silver Crescent, and your end."

"Oh, really?" I asked, interested, "And how is that, considering your under my imprisonment?"

"The Crescent shall come for me and once they do you would do well to watch your back, Director," Delarus said, that same ruthless glint in his gaze.

I was uncomfortable again, "Take him somewhere else. Keep a strict watch on him. I'll be by shortly-"

"You really are a pretty little thing, aren't you?" Delarus interrupted me, I looked at him with a frown as he babbled, "I may not get my revenge on you today, but your day of reckoning shall come! The great God of Wutai, Leviathan, shall ensnare your soul, demon of Shin-Ra!"

I rolled my eyes, waving a hand, "Take him away."

"You'll beg for my forgiveness!" Delarus roared as the guards took him away, "You will _beg_!"

Once he was gone, all the people standing in the area looked at me, either for reaction or direction. I looked at the ambassador with a smile, "Shall we continue this inside?"

The man blinked, clearly surprised by something I'd done, "Y-Yes, of course, Miss-I mean, Director."

I chuckled silently as I led the way, "Then let us move to a safer location."

I walked into the greatly ornate building of gold and reds, watching the doors close behind me…

Not realizing that I'd walked into the worst mistake of my life willingly.

* * *

_**Present**_

"Delarus Leviathan?" Sarah asked, a frown on her face, "That sounds familiar…"

"That's because he controls _all_ of the underground Wutai forces," Kat replied, a dark expression on her face, "…He also loves to taunt his…opponents."

Rosa looked at Kat, the Director was touching the back of her head gingerly, "Are you sure you don't want to get that medic back in here? It looks like that really hurts."

Kat shook her head, her long bronze hair in her face again, "No, I'm just dizzy. My head hurts a little, but it's nothing I can't handle."

She ended up tying her long hair into a ponytail, her green eyes looked confused momentarily, "Where was I?"

Sarah watched her friend, "You had sent Delarus to prison or something."

Kat nodded, playing with her waist length ponytail with one of her hands, but looking oddly distant as she repeated, "Yes. Delarus…I should have had him shot in the head at that very moment…"

Sarah and Rosa both looked surprised, Kat _never_ stooped to killing unless it was unavoidable. Sarah suddenly recalled the way Kat had taken out the Wutai soldier that had attacked them and the men in the warehouse. Maybe Kat jumped to killing immediately now, who knew?

Kat shook her head with a deep sigh, "Shall I press on?"

The girls both nodded, waiting for Kat to continue.

"…So…Then I went to check on Delarus's security…"

* * *

_**Five Years Before**_

I walked down the stone steps later that night after someone had reminded me to check on Delarus. I had three men behind me and three ahead of me, I walked down the dungeon like hallway, passing cells. Then one of the men turned around, "Director!"

I knew something was wrong.

I pushed past the other two ahead of me and looked at the cell Delarus was supposed to be in…four of his guards were laying in the floor, words smeared onto the stone wall in red, and the door wide open.

**'Director Sarah Kathleen Davis, Our Game Has Just Begun. I Won't Let You Rest Until You Are A Trophy For The Silver Crescent. Your Move.'**

I turned, "Find him now!"

The men behind me all scattered, Kunsel and some other SOLDIER came down the hallway, my second asked, "What's going on?"

"Delarus got out somehow and left this message," I waved my hand at the wall, "I need someone down here, take photos, notes, anything. If we have a lead then we can match it to what he left here."

"This is not a murder case," the man I didn't recognize said bluntly.

I glared at him, "Just who are you and why shouldn't I fire you on the spot?"

The man blanched, "S-Sorry, Director…I'm Terra, 2nd Class SOLDIER and your third in command."

I looked him over once, "…Huh…Really now?"

I glanced at Kunsel, "Can _you_ do as I asked?"

Kunsel nodded, "Yes, Director."

I turned, leaving the cell with more guards than I came with…It looked like I was a potential target for the Silver Crescent now…

I had to wonder, had I been a target the entire time?

* * *

I had a hand over my mouth, sitting in my leather chair at my desk while Kunsel and Terra gave me reports. I looked at my phone sitting on my desk, not really listening to them. I ran my hand over my face as Kunsel said, "Director?"

I looked up, "Oh…Sorry. Uh…What was the question?"

"Should we leave, Madam?" Terra asked, his file behind is back.

I bit my lip, thinking, "…You can leave, Terra. Gather more intel on this Leviathan's whatever."

"Yes, Director," he saluted and left.

Kunsel looked at me, "Director?"

"Do I have any messages?" I asked, a deep frown settling onto my face.

Kunsel nodded, "Yes, Director. Do you wish to hear them now?"

"…How many are there?" I asked slowly. Four months had passed and I'd lost my phone somewhere, I'd had to redirect my calls to my desk phone, but I couldn't figure out how to work the damned thing. I had the person working as my secretary write it all down, but I constantly forgot to check with her.

Kunsel looked down at his files, "Six, I believe."

"Yes," I answered, turning my chair to look out my window, "I would like to hear them."

Kunsel nodded, "On April 15th, a Sarah Neil emailed you. On April 29th, a Rosa Saldivar called you. May 3rd, Angeal Hewley called you. An email from Sarah Neil came in on May 19th. Another email came in May 30th from Genesis Rhapsodos. Tseng, didn't leave a last name, called again two nights ago on June 7th. I have the actual written reports here from Lisa, if you want to read them."

I raised my hand, not turning to him, "Let me see them."

He handed them to me and then said, "Would you like to be alone, Director?"

I looked at the first message from Sarah, "…Yes. I think that would be best."

I heard the door close and looked at my friends' messages to me…I sighed, they probably thought I was ignoring them…I set them on my lap, staring out at the sky, and I realized I couldn't call them back just yet.

I was a target of the Silver Crescent…and they already knew too much about me. For all I knew they were tracking my phone records as well, and if they had the power to do that…I closed my eyes and murmured to myself, "Then they could hurt the others…"

I looked out the window again and suddenly realized something was off. I frowned deeply, a hand stretched out for my desk, where I kept a backup gun hidden. I could feel someone's presence in the room with me…

But for once in my life I wasn't quick enough. I felt something collide with the back of my head and I fell from my chair…

I was in serious trouble.

* * *

_**Present**_

"You were kidnapped?" Rosa asked Kat, the older 1st Class looked at Sarah and then Kat, "Jeez, what is _with_ you two and getting snatched?"

Sarah was studying Kat's passive expression, "What happened to you? Your guy, Kunsel, he said you were taken…but you came back like this."

"Like this?" Kat asked, her eyebrows arched and her voice finally taking some sort of tone. An angry, defensive tone that surprised both women, "I was kidnapped against my will. I read the notice later when Leviathan's Devoted kidnapped you and you went with them willingly. Defeated their Midgar base, didn't you?"

Sarah's dark eyes were filled with confusion, "Kat, you're avoiding the question."

Kat shook her head, "I'm not, but can you understand how angry I am that you would regard yourself as a tool? When you went with them, did you even think how bad it could have gotten?"

Sarah was quiet, Rosa frowned at Sarah, "I _told_ you that you acted like a complete idiot."

"Yeah, well, they didn't even lay a hand on me-" Sarah started when Kat cut her off.

"Leviathan's Devoted didn't touch you. I was not so lucky," Kat said, her head tilted to the side where a large scar could be seen beginning from the middle of her pale neck and ran up into her hair.

Sarah went exceptionally pale, "What do you mean?"

"Delarus enjoyed having a punching bag around," Kat said simply, making a hand gesture before her, "I have many scars as proof that I wasn't careful enough that night. I suffered for it, yes, but my time as a captive taught me something important. In that world, as Director, I can't afford to be soft. I have to succeed in everything, no matter the means."

"…Even if it meant cutting us out of your life?" Sarah asked, looking at Kat now.

Kat laughed darkly, "My people…They do everything I ask, everything. So, when I arrived and my first order was to 'never follow me, no matter what'…they followed it. You were with Leviathan's Devoted for a couple weeks at most. I was with Silver Crescent for over three years."

"What?" Sarah and Rosa both asked.

Rosa shook her head, "That's not possible! Lazard told us you were fine! He said he talked to you…He…"

"He lied," Kathleen shrugged, "That's the best I can tell you. I know Kunsel covered for me for a long time, but finally he broke conduct and called the President out here. A few of the Turks were assigned to search for me. They found me the night I tried to escape, I cleared out the Silver Crescent's base…but Delarus wasn't there. He disappeared and ever since then I've been in 'protective custody'. That meant no cell phone, no phone, no internet, nothing."

Sarah frowned again, "So…what are you doing out here?"

"Once I finally, and secretly, replaced my phone I got a call from Tseng," Kat said as she rubbed the back of her neck, "That was a couple days ago. He called and said a folder showed up at HQ…for me. I haven't had any kind of mail show up there in five years, he says, so they got suspicious. Sent it to Gast to see if they could find anything. It was a note-from Delarus. It more or less said he knew everything there was to know about me and that in the end I'd be his 'Queen of Wutai' or something. The last line said he'd destroy the two people that still meant anything to me…I assumed it was you two. So I grabbed a helicopter and came here. I never expected to get caught. By Delarus's crew or you."

"Kat…" Rosa murmured softly, "…Why did you come here? Now he knows where you are!"

She shook her head, "I don't care. Let him come. I'm going to get my revenge. He stole five years of my life from me and now he's threatening the people I care about. I won't let him live. Not if I can help it."

Sarah starred at Kat, "I know you're not one for revenge-"

"Did you know, the people that killed our parents were apart of the original Silver Crescent? They were the bastards that guarded my cell. They had enough information on me that they taunted me with the details," Kat interrupted, Sarah noted that she had a knack for that now, but the Director had an eerie look on her face, "I killed them. You want to tell me I'm not one for revenge? I told you back in the warehouse, I've changed. You're not going to like the things I've done in the past years. Things bad enough that I could probably be considered a Turk."

Rosa's face fell, "No…Kat, don't say that…"

"I'm not going to lie," Kat replied, another dark expression on her face, "I've told you nothing but the truth and that's what I'm going to continue doing."

Sarah realized something, "Wait a minute…You said Turks. The Turks were involved with your escape?"

Kat scoffed, "If you think Tseng was involved, he wasn't. Tseng is many things, but he's not a liar. Adrian, Reno, Rude, and Elena were sent out. They found me just as I was leaving the base. I'm surprised they even found the base, let alone me."

"How _did_ you get out?" Sarah asked, "No one seems to know."

"One of the sick bastards guarding my cell that night had a fascination with me. All I had to do was bat my eyelashes and convince him to let me walk around a bit," Kat replied coldly, "After that…it was simple. I just took out anyone in my way. I needed the help, too. One, just _one_ of the bastards got close enough to get a good shot."

Kat lifted her cloth on her left leg, pointing out the large scar near her ankle, "It was luck that he even hit me, but it was close enough that I had trouble. Remind me to thank Adrian for his help with that when I see him next?"

Rosa shook her head slowly, "Five years…I thought you were tired of us, Kat… I thought you didn't care."

"Oh, I cared," Kat said quietly, "but what happened today was exactly why I've been in protective custody. Naturally the moment I try to rebel something like this happens."

Sarah crossed her arms, finished with the interrogation, "…So where do you go next?"

"Where ever Delarus is," Kat replied, her fingers messing with her hair again, "After that…I can go back to Wutai, maybe even do my job and live up to this ridiculous title of the 'Hero of Wutai'."

"Go back?" Rosa whispered, she stared in horror, "But…why…?"

"I didn't even get to do my job out there, Rosa," Kat tried to explain, "I have to go back…Plus, I don't belong here-"

"That's not true!" Sarah exclaimed, anger in her face, "You belong with your family! You belong with us!"

Kat shook her head, "…I'll come back when and if I'm ready."

Sarah frowned, "So, what you're saying is you're definitely not coming back till this asshole is six feet under?"

"Exactly," Kat nodded.

Kunsel entered the tent, holding a camera up, "Well, I think I can help you with that a bit."

Kat looked at him, "What have you got for me?"

"Delarus _was_ there. He fled the building through an underground passage almost two minutes before you got to the cells," Kunsel answered, holding up the camera for Kat to see, "He's playing cat and mouse with us."

"Then he's still in the area," Kat said suddenly, standing, "I've got to find him!"

She took a couple steps forward and fell, her head bleeding again, but Kunsel caught her, "I knew you should have let Larson heal you completely."

Kat hissed as Kunsel set her back on the cot, "Damn it, Kunsel. I don't have time for this! Give me some bandages and I'll do it myself!"

"You're no good to anyone dead, Director," Kunsel replied, calling the medic, Larson, back in. Sarah watched Kunsel very carefully now, it was clear the man cared about his Director more than he should.

Kat's face was full of fury, "You're letting him _go_!"

Rosa crossed her arms, anger on her face now, "Oh, shut up, Kat! When have you _ever_ failed a mission you've set for yourself? Never! You'll get this guy, but for now just shut it and let them heal you!"

Kat was taken aback, surprise on her face, "Okay…Sorry…"

Kunsel looked surprised now, but didn't say anything. Sarah patted Kat's shoulder, "We'll be back in a few. We have to go talk to the others."

Rosa nodded, "Stay put or else!"

Kat snickered, "Okay…I promise."

Sarah sighed in relief, "Later."

The two women left the tent, Rosa helped Sarah limp a couple of yards before a medic came over and healed her leg. Sarah thanked him and the two walked on. They related most of the tale to the boys, who were horrified, and then Zack said, "Cloud's almost good to go. So, we can stick around and help her if she needs it."

Sarah nodded, "Yeah. We can do that-"

"You've got to be freaking kidding me!"

The entire group turned, seeing Kunsel, Larson, and a couple of other men standing around Kat's tent. They were all shouting, panicking, and searching for something.

Sarah walked over, the others behind her, and approached Kunsel, "What's going on?"

"She's gone!" Kunsel replied, stress on his face.

Zack looked at Sarah, "What happened?"

Sarah turned, a pale, blank look on her face, "Kat's gone after him!"

Then Angeal appeared after coming out of Cloud's tent, "Guys…?"

"What?" Several of them snapped, panic setting in once more.

Angeal scratched the back of his head, "…Cloud's gone, too."

Sarah slapped herself in the face, irritation and fear taking over, "So…they're both out there…injured…possibly alone…with a psychotic killer who _wants_ Kat as a trophy and someone who just wants to kill Cloud…?"

The others were silent, all Sarah could say was-

"Awesome. That's freaking wonderful."

* * *

**And Kat once again storms onto the scene only to leave a trail of confusion behind her! So, three reviews to get a chapter, five for a speedy update, and more than five and you'll get one the next day!**

**Leave cookies if you want, but review!**

**~Sarah~**


	21. Her Last Chance

**Oh my Goddess! You all came through big time! Eight reviews? I can't wipe the grin off my face! :D Anyway, if we keep getting high numbers like that then we'll definitely see this story get 100 reviews _and_ the sequel, Hero! Ah, you all made my day, but let's see if we can keep it up! Oddly, I was extremely distracted the past day or two by watching The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Treasure Planet, so you'll excuse me if I'm running a bit behind? :) Onto the reviews, my good friends:**

**ShatterTheHeavens, people do change under circumstances like that, I agree. It's sad to see the happier Kat leave, but at least she is still alive, right? And yes, Kat's being a bit reckless, so we'll see what happens, but hopefully Cloud will confront her after all these years and set things straight. We'll have to see! :) Thank you so much for your review!**

**Aliasmidnight, well, I'm not sure if the 'Cloud saves Kat' moment is coming up, but we'll just have to find out, no? :) Thank you for reviewing!**

**Spells Odoru-Kaen, yes, indeed! Kat, Sarah, and Rosa are based on myself and my two good friends, Rosa Saldivar and Sarah Neil, and they are both thrilled with the response this story has gotten! And actually I completely understand what you mean about Cloud being paired with a secretive, brooding character from off the street. It's so difficult to find good OC stories, I definitely don't want to boost my ego and say mine is great, but I would like to thank you for the praise! Thank you so much for reviewing! :)**

**Silverdragon98, Cloud is on his way, my friend, and another chapter for you! Thanks for the review! :)**

**Russcull, Kat and Cloud have gone missing with a psychopath, so things are bound to get even more interesting, I believe! And thank you so much for supporting the story! Thanks for the review! :)**

**Evilly-innocent, actually when I originally wrote that chapter awhile back I had intended that the reason for Kat's disappearance to be a bit more...brutal, but I feared it would make things more difficult for her and took a step back. I think it is wonderful the way it is now though, despite her hardships. I highly doubt the others will be pleased with Kat and Cloud's disappearances, but we'll just have to see! Thank you for the cookie and review! :)**

**Myloveispurity8, hello there! No matter how late it is, a review is a review, no? :) Thank you for such high praise! As for our wonderful heroes and their health...we'll just have to find out! Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**Miss. Saldivar, ooh, now there's a familiar name! And calling me Jackel? Why this could only be Hanna! Thanks for review, m'dear, and here is a cookie for you! :)**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: This thing is a bit stupid in my honest opinion. If I had my way Final Fantasy VII would have at least included Sarah and Rosa! Alas, it is not...Oh well...**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Her Last Chance**

I ducked through some shrubs after I climbed out of the underground tunnels that the bastard had gone through. I was back on top, but I didn't know where I was exactly. I had to find him and put an end to this nightmare once and for all. Sarah and Rosa couldn't understand what I had to do…

Delarus had to die.

I ducked under another tree, following footprints. Then I heard the laughter ringing all around me, "Pretty little General Kat has come to settle the score!"

I stopped, my hand resting on my gun, "Come out and fight me properly, you freak!"

"Freak?" The laughter went on, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once, "I think you should reexamine that notion, Miss-I'm-The-Only-Female-General-In-Existence!"

I roared angrily, "Shut up! Get out here now!"

"Does your beloved family know why you _really_ left them, Kathleen? Do you lie to everyone you care about! Can't anyone love you without getting hurt?" He taunted at me.

I turned, hearing something snap behind me, but once I'd turned I heard something else behind me again. I ground my teeth together in frustration, "You don't know anything about me!"

"Haven't you told them that you left because you're incompetent as a person? That you can't be the person everyone thought you were? That you were a monster?" His voice echoed.

I pulled my sword from its sheath and slammed it into a tree, causing the whole thing to fall over. A laugh resounded, "Oh, temper, temper! Maybe that's why every man you try to have a serious relationship does something to betray you!"

I hit another tree, "I can do this all day! Come out and save me the trouble!"

"Kitty Kat, Kitty Kat! You're like a toy to play with, Kathleen! This is so much fun! Why would I end it now!" He laughed, I kept my gaze on the tree tops, but he just kept talking, "A monster hidden behind a pretty face! Did you like my hospitality in Wutai? Is that why you keep coming back?"

"I'll kill you!" I roared, another swipe at a tree.

"Tut, tut, tut! What happened to the Kathleen that wouldn't kill unless she had to? Is she dead? Has the monster finally won out?"

There was a cracking behind me, I spun lifting my sword to eyelevel-only to see Cloud. I stared at him in disbelief, "What the _hell_ are you doing here! Go back! Get out of here _now_!"

"I can't do that!" Cloud answered, his own hand at his weapon, "Kat, you can't do this alone!"

"Oh, she can!" Delarus called loudly, causing Cloud to look up at the sky, "She doesn't need anybody! Especially not the man who destroyed her 'perfect' little life!"

"Shut up!" I yelled, hitting another tree as I turned back the way I'd been facing, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Cloud was talking behind me, "Back to back? We can look faster that way."

I nodded, feeling his proximity, but didn't turn, "Cloud…"

"I know," he answered softly, "We can talk later, when we get out of this."

I nodded again, "Yeah."

"How adorable!" Delarus exclaimed, "Two spurned lovers teaming up to seek revenge! Tell me, Mr. Strife, why _did_ you reject the pretty Director's advances again? Was it because of Tseng?"

"Don't answer that," I snapped, "Don't answer him at all, Cloud."

"How does he know that?" Cloud hissed at me, "How does he know about you?"

"It's not just me," I whispered, "It's everyone…"

There was a movement ahead of me, I saw the bushes there move…and I bolted. I heard Cloud as he turned to see what I was doing, but I never looked back. I just ran. I dropped my sword and grabbed my gun, I could shoot him easier than I could stab him. I heard a shout behind me, but again I was too…obsessed to care.

After a good distance I stopped…but noticed I was alone. Cloud had followed me all the way out here, he wasn't going to just…leave…me…

_'Fuck.'_

I turned around, running back as quickly as I could to where Cloud and I had been before. It took me a good two minutes before I slid back into the clearing and I tightened my grip on my gun when I saw them. Cloud was a big guy, but in comparison to Delarus he was nothing.

Delarus's deadly gaze was locked on me, he had Cloud in a headlock of some sort that looked like it was killing him and a gun pressed against Cloud's head. Cloud's Mako blue eyes stared at me, conveying something I didn't understand, but our moment was interrupted by the bastard.

"It is so nice to see you face to face again, Director Kathleen," Delarus said, visibly tightening his hold on Cloud, "But I'm afraid this is where our partnership ends, Director, along with any of your hopes for the future!"

"Let him go, Delarus," I said in a tone I didn't recognize myself, "Let him go and I will talk to you."

"Lies, Director! You will shoot me the first chance you get!" Delarus laughed, looking and sounding like a crazed man.

I was suddenly at a loss. Cloud was looking at me still, but his expression was clear now. He was telling me to take the shot, even though there was no way I could hit Delarus without hitting Cloud. My shooting was good, but it wasn't good enough. I could never kill Delarus and miss Cloud…

"Now," Delarus said quietly, "are you going to be honest with me, or am I going to have to kill this man?"

"No!" I responded quickly, then I realized my mistake.

Delarus's face was lit with excitement, "Ah! I see now! You still love him!"

Cloud's face went slack, I felt my body go cold, and Delarus laughed loudly. I shook my head slowly, "That's…That isn't possible."

"Lies, lies, lies! When did you turn into such a liar?" Delarus shook his head, an evil smirk on his face, "Oh, it must have been after our first meeting. When you started lying and telling everyone that you were just fine? Do you remember that? Do you remember how much I cared about you?"

"Cared about me?" I hissed, "You…Goddess!"

I was too close to this, I realized in a split second, if Delarus was going to let Cloud go then I had to play into his fantasy. I relaxed my body and lowered my gun, "Delarus, let him go. Tell me what you want, we can work something out."

Delarus's face smoothed out, eyes full of intent, "Now you want to talk. Now that I've got this one," he jerked Cloud's head back, "That's rich! You just want to save him! You don't care about me!"

"That's not true," I lied, _'Oh, I care about killing your ass…'_ "I do care, Delarus, but how can I tell you how I feel when you're acting so rashly? If you hurt him, you'll be hurting me. Do you want that?"

"N-No…" he mumbled, the gun pulled away from Cloud's head slightly. I exhaled in relief, "Kathleen, you have to come back to Wutai with me. You have to be my Queen!"

"Okay, Delarus, I will," I empathized, never breaking contact with Cloud's gaze, "I will, I…I swear, but you have to let him go."

"Kathleen, I-" Delarus started, but then the situation spun out of control.

"KAT! WHERE ARE YOU!"

They'd found our location. A look of alarm crossed Delarus's face, it was clear that he knew it had all been a ruse. He pressed the gun completely against the side of Cloud's face, "Kathleen, you're still lying to me!"

"Kat, just take the damn shot!" Cloud exclaimed as Delarus yanked his head back again, "Whatever happens, I won't blame you!"

I saw Delarus's finger going for the trigger, "You took too long, Director! Now he dies!"

I lifted the gun, "Don't-!"

And life would never be the same.

* * *

"Find her! Find her now, damn it!" Kunsel was yelling at the men around, "If you find 1st Class Strife then you bring him back as well! Go!"

Sarah turned to the others, "Guys, we know Kat and Cloud. If Kat's gone after this guy and she wants him _that_ bad, then she's not covering her tracks. These guys are going to be looking for her in hiding."

"And she's going to be right out in the open," Rosa concluded, "If Cloud has gone after Kat, then he's just following her tracks. It should be easy to find them."

"Then let's go now," Zack said, they looked around the two tents and found two sets of tracks. Zack called, "Sarah! This way!"

The group followed the tracks all the way to the warehouse, everyone pulled out their weapons, but no one needed them. Any Silver Crescent members were dead now, either by Kat or Cloud's hand, no one knew. They followed the muddy footprints of their two friends all the way into an office that was nearly hidden.

Rosa stared at the ransacked room, "…It's almost…scary how normal it seems…"

"Normal?" Sephiroth scoffed, he had a stack of papers in his hand that he'd pulled off a bookshelf, "This is not normal. He's obsessed with Kat, and through her us. Look, detailed profiles on every single one of us."

While Rosa was looking at the profiles with Sephiroth, Genesis was looking at the paneling on the floor, "…Doesn't this look…odd?"

Angeal knelt down, scratching at the paneling, "This is where the underground tunnel starts."

"But the question," Zack said with a frown, "is where does it go and how quickly can we get there?"

Sarah helped pull the hatch open and they all climbed down. It was a good thirty minutes or so before they found a ladder going up to another hatch. Sarah went up first, pushing it open and crawling out. She looked around in confusion, "…A forest…?"

Zack came out next, looking around, "That's Junon over there…We're beyond the mountain?"

Rosa was walking off in a direction alone, "Kat? Are you there?"

Angeal had a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, let's not be too loud. We don't know what's going on here-"

"I found tracks!" Genesis announced, pointing off in a direction, "Three sets."

Sarah began walking that way, leading the others. It was a good ten minutes of walking without finding anything when Rosa shouted, "KAT! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Sarah turned, "Rosa! Don't-"

_BANG!_

They all turned in the direction the gun shot had come from, along with a yell, but a tense, horrible silence filled the forest around them afterwards. Sarah took off, Zack and Rosa the closest behind her, and they entered a clearing where several trees were knocked down…

"Dear Goddess…"

* * *

I let out a strange scream that I wasn't expecting as I pulled the trigger on my gun. Cloud had moved at the last second, ramming his elbow into Delarus's stomach, but both men went down in a heap of limbs. I dropped my gun, running over to the two, and exhaled as I pulled Cloud out from under Delarus. I rolled him onto his back, placing him in my lap as I brushed his hair out of his eyes, "Cloud, please, look at me…"

There was blood everywhere.

He wasn't opening his eyes, but he was breathing. Blood covered his shoulder, a hole torn through the fabric of his SOLDIER uniform. I looked over at Delarus, a heavy, shaky sigh of relief escaped me as I realized he wasn't moving. My bullet had gone straight through his head. The mission I'd been on for five years was over…

But that wasn't my problem now.

I was scrambling, I held both of my hands over Cloud's shoulder where it wouldn't stop bleeding, "Come on, Cloud…Don't do this to me…"

There was noise behind me, I turned my head, relief flooding me again, "Sarah, Rosa…guys…"

Sarah fell to her knees beside me, taking out her Cure Materia and going to work on Cloud's shoulder, "What the hell were you thinking, Kat…?"

I didn't look at her, I only stared at Cloud's face, "…I wasn't…"

"What happened?" Rosa asked, her hand on my shoulder.

"I just…He…We…" I whispered, unable to comprehend that I was the one who'd shot Cloud, "…I shot them…"

"…didn't…mean to…" Cloud mumbled, causing us all to jump.

Sarah kept working on him, "Cloud, be quiet for a minute while I heal you, okay? You've lost a lot of blood."

His eyes opened a little, he looked at me, "…You…didn't mean to…"

I brushed his bangs out of his eyes again, "I know…I'm sorry…Just…do what Sarah says, all right? Just for a minute?"

He nodded once before closing his eyes again, drifting off to sleep. Zack helped me onto my feet, steadying me, "What happened, Kat?"

I shook my head slowly, my head was really hurting now, "…Cloud followed me…Delarus…he had Cloud and…"

I blinked, confused, "My side hurts really bad…"

Zack frowned at me, "What…?"

"Zack! She's bleeding!" Sephiroth said suddenly.

I looked down, there was a hole in my shirt as well. I sighed, the world was tilting oddly, "…Of course…I remember…now…"

Then the entire world faded from view.

* * *

"So basically this Delarus decided in the end that if he couldn't have Kat then he'd kill her?" Someone was saying, "That's a little…"

"Crazy? Yeah, but most things are in our lives," someone else remarked.

"Especially for this young lady, it seems," a less familiar voice said.

I groaned, flexing my fingers, and someone said, "She's coming to!"

I opened my eyes, confusion flashed through me as I saw the white room, hearing beeping on machines, and seeing people I knew. Rosa, Sarah, Zack, Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, and Professor Gast. I had a hand on my forehead as I greeted the Professor, "Professor Gast…It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has, Miss Davis, how are you feeling?" He asked, pushing glasses up his nose.

I stretched slowly, feeling the pull in my side, "Okay, I guess. What happened and where am I?"

Sarah had a hand on my arm, squeezing it, "Delarus shot you. None of us realized it until it was almost too late…You're in the Shin-Ra building, kid."

I sighed heavily, letting my head hit the pillow, "I see…Did I…Did I get him…? I got Delarus, right?"

Sarah patted my arm, "Yeah, you got him, Kat. You got him. You can rest now."

I nodded once, closing my eyes, "Good…That's good…"

Zack was talking, "The Director wants to see her…I don't know when though."

"We should inform Tseng," Rosa was saying, "Since he was probably the last one in contact with her…"

Sarah, oddly, agreed, "Okay, go to them and see what's going on."

Sephiroth only said, "I'll go with Rosa."

Genesis murmured, "I'll go check on Cloud-"

I shot up, eyes flying open, causing everyone to stop as I exclaimed, "Where is he! Is he okay? I didn't…I didn't kill him, did I?"

Sarah pushed me back down gently, "He's fine, Kat. He's just asleep."

I stared at her, searching for some sign of a lie, but found none. I relaxed once more, "Okay…I believe you…"

She smirked for a second and shook her head, "Why wouldn't you believe me in the first place?"

I only let a quiet smile slip onto my face, I didn't say word. Sarah turned back to the others, "Go on. I've got things covered here."

The group left, leaving Sarah with me. She sat in one of the chairs to my left as Gast explained what had happened to me, "Well, a long story short, he shot you in the side here," he touched the place and I winced, "As you can see, for some reason when we healed it the wound simply didn't want to heal completely. I need your permission, but I'd like to do a couple tests and see what's going on."

I nodded, "Yeah, Doc. Anything you need."

Gast sent for a nurse to take blood and ask me questions, but then they left. Sarah was staring at me, I turned my head to look at her, "…Your eyes…"

Sarah nodded to herself, "Ever since the surgery they're getting bluer for some reason…"

I smiled, "Looks good on you."

She ruffled my hair, "What's with this hair? You're trying to be a hippie or something?"

"Nah," I laughed quietly, "I'd have cut it myself, but who has ever heard of a Director with a bad haircut? Now that'd be just horrible for the company!"

She snickered, "You're back, aren't you?"

I felt that momentary joy seep from me suddenly, "…I think I am for the most part…It's weird…I searched for Delarus…for years…and now that he's gone…I don't know what to do. I can relax, but I think there will always be that part of my mind where I won't stop thinking about those years…"

Sarah suddenly chuckled, I frowned, "What? How was that even funny?"

"It wasn't. I'm sorry, but I was thinking. Lazard's meeting is this week and the one time you're actually here for the damn thing, you're down here in a hospital bed with a gunshot wound," Sarah chuckled, "It's just weird."

I tried to maintain a serious face, but it slipped and I laughed as well, "That _is_ weird!"

We both laughed quietly, then it was silent for a few minutes. Then Sarah murmured, "You're not staying…are you?"

Sarah and I looked at each other a long moment before I finally said, "No. I have too much work I left undone in Wutai…Maybe in a couple years…but this time I'll be free. I can answer the phone this time and emails. I won't just disappear again. I swear that on my life."

Sarah opened her mouth to say something, but another voice came from the door, "You know, I didn't realize you were going to catch the first helicopter out of Wutai and head here to get yourself killed."

I smiled as Tseng and Rosa walked into the room, "Hey, Tseng."

His hair was no longer short with bangs, it was the way he'd used to wear it. It was long and tied behind his back, with his eyes visible, "Kat, you realize we _can_ get someone else to go back to Wutai and handle things."

I frowned, "No, this is my job and I have to do it. You know that."

He sighed, "Yeah, but I was hoping you'd stay. For all of us."

I chuckled to myself, "Is it going to be the same song and verse conversation with all three of you?"

They all smiled, Rosa sat on the edge of my bed, "We're just glad you're here."

"I wasn't at first, you know," I murmured more to myself, but then I spoke to them, "But now I'm glad I did. Even if…I hadn't gotten him, I'm glad I saw you guys."

Rosa grinned at me, "You know, you were really being stupid earlier, but it's nice to see you still have a soft side."

"A soft side?" I laughed, "My only real weakness is my family, Delarus figured that out or he never would have come after you guys."

Rosa beamed at me, "So you still think of us as family?"

"Always have, dork," I snorted.

The three chuckled, Sarah sighed, "That's good to hear."

I smiled, closing my eyes, "Thank you…all of you."

"For what?" They all chorused.

I exhaled, sleep was overtaking me quickly, "…for letting me feel…normal for the first time in ages…"

Rosa patted my head, "Sleep. Rest, you earned it."

I nodded, drifting off to the first real dream I'd had in five years…

* * *

I stretched a week later, tapping the toes of my feet on the floor, "I feel great now, Doc. What happened with those tests?"

Gast and I were the only ones in the room, the others were with Lazard, but I'd never expect the news I got. Gast had a full frown on his face, "I didn't really want to tell you this…but, Kat, you're not technically an actual SOLDIER anymore."

I stared at him, "That's impossible. I'm the Director."

"No, the definition of a SOLDIER is a person injected with the power of Mako and JENOVA cells," Gast tried to explain, "Kathleen, your Mako injections have faded out, which is completely unheard of. It's a miracle you're even alive right now."

I felt my mouth drop open a moment, "I'm not…a SOLDIER…? Then how the hell have I been fighting?"

"My guess is that your body has been working under the conditions of Mako for so long that it has simply adapted to it," Gast said, looking through his files, "The Mako's disappearance explains why your wounds wouldn't heal on their own easily, it also explains why the Cure Materia wasn't reacting correctly. Kathleen, do you realize what I'm saying?"

I looked over at the man, he had a hand on my arm, "If you want me to take this to the President, Shin-Ra will release you from duty. You're _normal_ now."

I stared at him, "…and…what if I didn't want to be normal…?"

Gast frowned, "Then I could inject more Mako into you, but then you run the risk of Mako poisoning or the Mako not even sticking in your system."

I exhaled, "…I leave in three days…Can I have some time to think about it?"

He nodded, "Even if you aren't an official SOLDIER, Kathleen, your body is still in condition to fight. You don't have to be a SOLDIER to be the Director. You know that, don't you?"

I swallowed, my mouth felt dry, "Yeah…I'll think about it seriously. I promise, Doc. Later."

I walked out of the room and signed my release papers…

I was normal…? Not a SOLDIER…?

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

* * *

**Oh my! In order to find out next, I'm afraid you'll have to have a rather high number of reviews for me! Remember, 100 reviews gets you the lovely sequel in the works! If the number of reviews stays low though, I will update with three sometime next week. :( Let me update soon?**

**Review and leave treats!**

**~Sarah~**


	22. Crossroads

**So, six reviews last chapter! :D I'm pretty excited about that and if you guys keep it up then we're definitely going to hit 100! Thanks everyone! Anyway, I thought I'd let you all know that I'm heading back to my hometown to hang out with Rosa and Sarah for the weekend, so no updates till at least Monday...and that's _if_ you guys can get me at least six reviews again. :) By the way, there's a poll on my profile to see which OC you like the best, so vote and maybe we'll get a side for that character...? Who knows, I've got many tricks left up my sleeve! So, to answer reviews:**

**ShatterTheHeavens, ah! I can't remember the last time I did karaoke! I hope you had lots of fun! Yes, Kat's no longer a SOLDIER, so I'm sure that's bound to create more issues for our hero. But, she's pulled through so far, so maybe she'll be all right? Thank you so much for your review!**

**Russcull, I love the music in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Treasure Planet so much! I'm so glad someone else does, too! :D Yes, Kat no longer being a SOLDIER is going to have some major consequences later on down the line—probably in the sequel considering this story is just two more chapters away from being over! :( Thank you for your review, my friend!**

**Silverdragon98, no more Mako indeed! We;ll have to see what everyone, especially Cloud, thinks of this new revelation! :) Thank you for reviewing!**

**Spells Odoru-Kaen, I'm definitely sure we'll see loads more of SarahxZack and SephxRosa! As for Kat and Cloud surviving this entire thing...we'll just have to wait and see, I'm afraid. :) Thank you so much for reviewing!**

**Evilly-innocent, I remember for the longest time that Delarus didn't have a name, I just kept calling him that demonic guy. In fact I have no idea where I got his name. o.O' Oops. :) Cloud and Kat will have their discussion very soon, and with it, I'm sure we're bound to see that lovely relationship rekindling somewhat...well..._maybe_. Kat _is_ stubborn. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Loopylooploop, I am so sorry you're sick! I hope you get better soon and I'm so glad the chapter was able to make your day a bit brighter! Kat may have been cold, but her feelings for Cloud are still in there and likewise for Cloud! I'm so glad you're ready for the sequel! Thank you for review, m'dear!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the actual concept of Final Fantasy VII, but I did buy a copy awhile back for the ridiculous price of $60. But, that doesn't count, does it? :)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Crossroads**

Sarah and Rosa were walking to 7th Heaven that night to tell Tifa about Kat's release, both talking about the ways they could get their friend to stay. Tifa set them both drinks on the counter, "So, let's back up a second. Kat's here? In town?"

Sarah nodded, "Yeah. She explained everything to us, but she's still pretty set on going back to Wutai."

Tifa sighed, "And Cloud went after her, alone, when Kat went after this guy?"

"Yeah," Rosa replied, taking a shot, "It's like this. It is _really_ obvious Cloud still cares about her, and I think Kat still cares about him, but because of what happened…"

"You think neither is going to make a move," Tifa summed up.

"Basically," Rosa shrugged.

Tifa frowned, "What if…we got Cloud to come out and say how he felt? Do you think that could change Kat's mind at all?"

Sarah had a sudden grin on her face, "We might be able to do just that…"

"Get Cloud to admit he still loves Kat to her face?" Rosa asked, confusion on her face, "How? It'll never work…"

Sarah laughed, "Yeah, that's exactly what we'll do. We know who is Cloud's best friend is and I just happen to be engaged to him."

Tifa beamed, "Oh my Goddess, you're a genius, Sarah!"

Sarah took a shot and then grinned, "Let's have another round!"

"Hear, hear!" Rosa cheered in excitement, "We're going to get Kat to stay!"

Sarah nodded, "Let's celebrate."

The girls all laughed happily, celebrating away…

* * *

_'How the hell do I live a 'normal' life…Is it even possible…? Where would I go if I wasn't with Shin-Ra? Banora? Wutai? Stay in Midgar…? No, I can't stay in Midgar. The longer I stay here, the more likely it is that I'll be stuck for good. I can't have that…I never thought things would get _more_ complicated after I got rid of…of Delarus…'_

I walked down the hall, a hand over my mouth as I wandered aimlessly. I didn't even know what floor I was on let alone who was around me. I turned a corner, still lost in my thoughts and ran right into a girl I didn't recognize, "Oh, I'm sorry, Miss…"

"Kathleen?" The short haired brunette asked, a headband around her head, "Don't you recognize me?"

I looked her over; she was wearing a tank top, short shorts, comfortable shoes…She had dark eyes, dark hair, slightly tan…I frowned apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss. I can't remember. I feel horrible…"

"Well," she said with a grin, scratching the back of her head, "It's no surprise you don't remember me! We only met a couple of times and I was a real brat. It's me, Yuffie!"

I stared, unable to believe it, "Yuffie? That's you? You've changed so much!"

She nodded, "Yep! Whatcha doin' on the Turks' floor?"

I blinked, "Oh no, that's where I am?"

The young ninja looked at me, "Are you okay?"

I sighed, "Not really. I wasn't looking where I was going…Just walking around… So, what are you up to?"

"Waiting on Adrian to get out of his meeting with Director Tseng," she answered, twirling around in place, "We're supposed to go eat or something!"

"Does he know that?" I chuckled.

"No, but he'll love it!" Yuffie exclaimed, "Because I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie and I always come up with the best ideas! Even Vincent says so!"

Then she bent forward, hands on her hips and looking up at me, "So, what's eating you, General?"

I shook my head, "You don't want to know."

"I don't wanna know or you don't wanna tell?" She asked with a kid like grin.

"A bit of both," I laughed, unable to help the grin on my face, "I may not be a SOLDIER too much longer."

The smile faded from her face, mouth dropping open, "What! But how? My Dad swears your administration was the best we've seen in ages!"

I sighed, shaking my head, "It's a long story."

"Hey, Yuffie! I'm…Kat?" Adrian's voice came from behind me, Yuffie and I both looked at him. He beamed, "Kat! It's been, what? Two years? How are you?"

"I'm okay," I said quietly, my mind still not completely there, "I never got the chance to thank you for that either."

"No problem," Adrian said, holding Yuffie's hand, "Anything for a friend."

"You saved my life," I said, giving him a look, "Not many people can say that. I have to thank you."

"Well," he said, a smile on his face, "You're welcome."

Yuffie grabbed my arm, "Come with us! I want to hear about you not being a SOLDIER anymore!"

"What!" Adrian exclaimed, sounding upset, "What do you mean not a SOLDIER anymore? Is that even possible?"

Yuffie dragged us to the elevator, "Let's talk about it over lunch!"

I looked at Adrian, he shrugged, "You're stuck with us now."

I laughed, "It's cool. I don't see enough of you guys, so this'll be good for me."

"You'd see us more if you visited more!" Yuffie scolded, causing both Adrian and I to grimace. She frowned, "What? You two know something I don't, don't you?"

Adrian and I looked at each other, laughed, and both said, "Nah."

It was nice relaxing for once…

* * *

"You want me to do what exactly?" Zack asked, leaning against the bar with his arms crossed. He exhaled heavily, looking at his fiancée, "Sarah, this is a bad idea. If I say the wrong thing, Cloud is going to bite my head off."

Sarah held his hands, leaning up to kiss him once, "Babe, you want her to stay just as bad as we do. She's like a little sister to you, you've told me so. Just try?"

Zack looked at Tifa and Rosa, then at Sarah, she was using the puppy dog face he'd taught her. He made a face, trying to resist…and then dropped his head, "Fine. I'll try, but he's not going to budge."

"Yes!" Rosa exclaimed.

Sarah squeezed his hands, smiling, "Thank you."

"Yeah, you're just lucky I love you," he said with a smirk.

She kissed him, staying close to his face with an even bigger grin than before, "And I love you."

Rosa went to the door, "I'm going to go! Sephiroth called and wants to go see LOVELESS for real this time!"

Sarah and Zack laughed, "Later, Rosa!"

"No popcorn this time!" Sarah chuckled.

Rosa waved and left.

Sarah looked at Zack, "Want a drink?"

"Sure, why not? I'm going to need it," Zack said, running a hand over his face.

Tifa only laughed, "He's not that bad."

"When it comes to Kat?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows raised.

Zack took a drink and then held the glass to Tifa, "Better make it two."

Both women snickered…

* * *

Yuffie gaped at me from across the table. We were at Johnny's Restaurant in the main Sector, Yuffie had picked this place over the other place because Johnny's had food from Wutai. She looked at Adrian and then me, "That's where you were! The top secret mission that you signed on for!"

Adrian looked at Yuffie, "I don't think any of us knew what was going on till we were out there. Tseng doesn't even realize it, but he's the one who signed off for our team to go out there."

"So, Tseng doesn't realize it…but he probably saved my life as well," I said quietly.

Adrian nodded, "He's changed since you last saw him, Kat. He's calmed down a lot."

"Meaning, I introduced him to this girl!" Yuffie exclaimed happily, "Her name is Elena and she just made it to the Turks about four years ago! She's so sweet, exactly what Tseng needed to move on!"

I smiled, knowing she didn't mean anything offensive, "That's great. I'm happy for him."

"So, Kat," Adrian said as Yuffie wolfed down more food, "What did you mean you weren't going to be a SOLDIER much longer?"

I sighed, shaking my head, "Apparently, I've done the impossible again. My Mako infusions are gone, just vanished. Without the Mako, I'm technically not even a SOLDIER. I'm just a chick who is freaky strong and is the Director of Wutai. I've got two or three choices. I can continue on as Director and inform the company, I can stay Director and SOLDIER with extra Mako infusions, or I can walk away."

"What are you going to do?" He asked me, looking concerned.

I smiled at him, feeling the stress, "…I don't know…You are the first ones I've told since I found out. I know…I can't stay Director if I'm not a SOLDIER. It just wouldn't feel right…Some of those guys in my troop deserve to be Director when I don't. The only reason they're not 1st Classes is because they all _always_ fail the written portion by a couple of points."

"That's why we've only got a hand full of 1st Classes anyway," Adrian said sympathetically, "Besides, your guys didn't have a lot of time to study anyway with everything that went on around up there."

I shrugged, "Still, I feel bad. They'd all have made it if it wasn't for me."

"Don't blame yourself, Kat," he said sadly.

I smiled, "You're a great friend, Adrian. Thanks for the encouragement."

"That's what I'm here for," he laughed.

Adrian's phone went off suddenly, causing Yuffie and I to both frown. Yuffie crossed her arms, "Is that Tseng, _again_?"

"Again?" I asked, a frown deepening.

Adrian held up a finger to us, "…Yeah, boss? She's sitting here with me now…Yeah, I can tell her that. All right. Later."

Adrian looked at me, "Tseng wanted to know if you'd meet him in his office. He wants to talk."

I nodded, "Well, that's my cue. Thanks for listening and spending some time with me."

"No problem!" Yuffie exclaimed, hopping out of the booth and hugging me, "Visit sometime soon, okay?"

I agreed, hugging her back, "I will. Promise."

Adrian gave me a hug too, "We'll keep you to that promise."

I smiled, "Thank you again, for everything."

"No more thanks, okay? Just be more careful and visit more," he shrugged, letting me go.

I waved, walking back to the Shin-Ra building, the thought still rampant in my mind, _'…not a SOLDIER…not a member of Shin-Ra…'_

I felt like everyone that looked at me _knew_, but it was just people surprised to see me in person. Some wanted photos, autographs, but that was the life of a 1st Class. A life I no longer deserved…but I couldn't say no to these people, it would bring suspicion to me when I hadn't made a decision yet.

I made it to Tseng's office with a lot of difficulty, he shut the door behind me after I literately fell into the floor of his office. He helped me up with a smile on his face, "Still as graceful as ever, hm?"

I glared at him, "That was rude and uncalled for."

He laughed, "Kat, it was a joke."

I tried to keep my glare, but it slipped and the next thing I knew I was laughing, "So, I heard you have a _girlfriend_?"

He grimaced, "Ah, it sounds so odd when you say it like that."

I chuckled, "Tell me about her."

Tseng got a dream-like look on his face, "Yuffie introduced her to me at the Annual Christmas Party four years ago. Elena, she joined the Turks officially soon after with the highest scores on both exams. She's smart, gorgeous, funny…I think she's the one, Kat."

I smiled, "Good for you, Tseng."

He snapped out of his state, looking at me horrified, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's good to hear that you've found someone that makes you _really_ happy," I said with a hand in the air, making a gesture between us, "We always knew we wouldn't work out. This is a good thing, Tseng. Don't ruin it, okay?"

He nodded, "Yes, you're right. I just felt like I'd…said too much."

"Not at all," I laughed, "I know I said some pretty rotten things to you about…someone else before. At least you have found someone, that makes me happy as your friend."

"Thank you, Kat," Tseng said, looking sincere, "It means a lot to me…but that isn't what I called you here for."

I sat back in my chair, looking at him across his desk, "Oh? Then what has the mighty Turk called me in here for?"

"I wanted to apologize…for everything," Tseng looked at his hands, intertwined together on his desk as he spoke, "…I ruined everything for you…and you ran. You alienated yourself from your friends, your family, because of a misunderstanding I caused. I just-"

I shook my head again, "Did you know that I was taken by the Silver Crescent five years ago and held captive until two years ago? You signed off on a mission and didn't realize what it was. That mission was to rescue me."

Tseng's mouth fell open, "What?"

I explained the past five years for the second time that day, then ended with, "So, in a way you saved my life. It's I who should be thanking you, not you begging for forgiveness. You and your people came for me, consider our debts even."

Tseng only looked at me, "Five years…You were on the run…and you didn't ask for help…?"

"I couldn't," I repeated, "I wasn't allowed to have a phone. The moment I got one…well, trouble sprang loose. We saw to that."

"And he's dead? Delarus?" Tseng asked, a dark look on his face.

I smiled, relief flooded through me every time I thought about it, "Yes, he's dead. They burned the remains to make sure. It's…easier to breathe somehow, knowing he's not going to try and kill me in my sleep or something. I know I should feel bad…for killing another human being…but I can't bring myself to feel bad for his loss. He deserved it after all the things he did…"

"Everyone else agrees with you, Kat," Tseng nodded, "I feel loads better hearing that he's gone and I never met the man."

I grinned, "You always knew what to say."

"Yes, I just didn't know _how_ to say it," he chuckled, "It always came out the wrong way."

"Anyway, I thought you should know," I said suddenly, "I've somehow lost my Mako infusions, they're gone. I'm no longer a SOLDIER technically. Depending on what I decide in the next three days…I may leave the company."

Tseng looked stunned, "…You know…I've waited years for you to say you were leaving Shin-Ra…because then you'd be safe…but now…It's bittersweet…I can't see the company without you, Kat. It'll be a loss we won't recover from…I know this is a selfish request, but please, stay with us. You don't even have to stay in Midgar, stay with us in Wutai…Just be with all of us in someway…"

I laughed again, but this time tears clouded my eyes, "…I'm thinking about it all…For once in my life I _am_ normal…I don't know what to do…Cry or jump for joy? I don't know what I'd do without the company…but I may never get another chance like this, you know?"

He nodded, "This is true…Then I take back my request and I present you with a new one: Do whatever will make you happy, Kat."

I was surprised, I felt my face smooth out and my mouth pop open for a second, "Tseng…"

"I know…That doesn't sound like the 'me' you know…but I've had many years to readjust my attitude," he confessed, "And you were right, like always. I was an idiot and all I thought about was work. Work isn't what I go home to at the end of the day, it isn't what I've built for myself. It's my friends and family…and before I realized I needed to clean up my act, I was alone. You were right, Kat. You were."

I smiled, leaning forward and putting a hand on his, "I forgave you a long time ago, Tseng. I just want you to be happy, with Elena, if you love her. Let's just be friends, I think it's worked out well for us so far."

He smiled, putting his other hand on mine, "Thank you, Kat. For everything."

"Thank you, Tseng," I said, squeezing his hand, "For saving my life."

He showed me out and we parted on good terms…

I closed my eyes as I went to the elevator, _'I need to go there…To the place where it all ended and began…I need to go to the balcony where Cloud and I…Where I ruined everything…I have to face it. Then I can decide…Tomorrow…That'll give me two days to decide…'_

Tifa hugged me _hard_ when I entered the bar, "KATHLEEN! YOU'RE HERE!"

* * *

I chuckled, hugging the over excited brunette back, "Yeah, I'm here. I was actually wondering if you could cut my hair?"

She grabbed a handful of my hair gently, looking at the length as it fell back near my hip, "Did you get a haircut at _all_ since you left?"

"Nope," I answered, popping the 'p'.

I looked behind her as she went to go get scissors and saw Sarah sitting there, "Been looking for you! I have to tell you something really important!"

Sarah smiled, "Oh? Good news, I hope."

I grimaced, "Not exactly."

She had a flash of confusion cross her face, but Tifa came back and dragged me off to the backroom. She sat me down and started talking about everything she could think of; the story the others had told her about me, her life, and anything else. I responded the appropriate ways, telling everything I could think of in response to her comments. It was the natural thing to do with Tifa, she was like another sister to me, but a weaker one I had to protect instead of depending on.

When she was done she spun the chair around for me to look in the mirror, "Ta da! What do you think?"

I stared, seeing my old self staring at me in the mirror. Bangs that fell across my right eye, hair that barely touched my shoulders…I only stared, unable to believe it was the same person. That made Tifa nervous though, "Oh no…You hate it, don't you? I don't see you for five years and then I screw up your hair! Oh Goddess, I'm so sorry-! "

I stood up, turning and hugging her, "No, Tifa! I love it! Thank you so much!"

She hugged me back, a smile on her face, "You're welcome then!"

We walked back to the main area and this time Rosa and Sephiroth were there, Sarah turned to me, "Looks good."

Rosa squealed excitedly, hugging me, "You look like you again!"

Sephiroth chuckled, "Good to see you looking better."

I nodded, "Thanks, guys."

Sarah looked at me, patting the seat between her and Seph, "So, tell us, what is this horrible news?"

I sighed, Tifa frowned, "Are we going to need more drinks?"

I arched an eyebrow, looking at them all, "Starting a bit early, aren't we?"

Rosa leaned around Sephiroth and stuck a finger in my face, "You shut up, missy! We've been under loads of stress _and_ we have to see you go again!"

I felt that smile slip off my face, "About that…I might be leaving the company."

To my surprise, it was Sephiroth who went blank, "Wait. What?"

I looked at him, "I'm technically no longer a SOLDIER. I have the right to quit like any other Shin-Ra employee."

"Yes, I get that," Sephiroth said, glaring at me now, "But _how_ are you no longer a SOLDIER. That's scientifically impossible!"

I exhaled heavily, everyone staring at me, "…I don't have Mako in me anymore. It has disappeared…I'm normal."

"But…the way you fought the Wutai troops…" Sarah mumbled, confused.

"Gast says he thinks it's because my body has been used to the pressure. It's still running like it has Mako, but it'll stop soon enough," I explained, then I exhaled, "I can quit completely, stay Director, or be re-infused with Mako. Gast said I run the risk of Mako poisoning if I choose to remain a SOLDIER."

Rosa slammed her hands down on the bar, "What! No! You can't subject yourself to poisoning!"

I nodded slowly to myself, "I thought about that…but I can't stay Director and not be a SOLDIER. It wouldn't be right."

"So…what then? You just quit? You walk away and that's it?" Sephiroth asked, looking furious. I stared at him, not saying anything, as he went on, "What do you do then, after you quit? You go live some perfect fairytale life?"

"Nah," I chuckled, taking a shot from Tifa after she poured it, "That's just not for me. I can't even imagine settling down…I've got three days to decide…Don't be angry at me, Seph."

Sephiroth scowled deeply, "You haven't decided?"

"No," I replied.

He made a noise and then sighed, "…Even if you left…you could always come back and work here in the main building, you know."

I laughed, "Do you see me filing paperwork and fetching coffees for people?"

"No…I don't suppose I do," he sighed, then stood up, kissing Rosa, "I've got somewhere to be. I'll see you ladies later."

We all bid him goodbye, but my stomach felt like it was twisted in knots…

It was coming together in my mind, even as I sat there with the girls, drinking and having fun for once…I was going back to Wutai…I would risk Mako poisoning…

I had to…

It was just in my nature.

* * *

**So, Kat's made her, probably stupid, decision! Can anyone changer her mind, I wonder...? Review and find out! (Considering Rosa likes to complain when I don't update, you might just get an update sooner than you think if you review enough...)**

**And now I'm off to fight with my PS3 because the system is down! Such joy!**

**Answer the poll on my profile!**

**And Review! :D**

**~Sarah~**


	23. Forgiven

**We did it! We hit 100 reviews, the 100th reviewer being Axelxroxie! Thank you so much everyone for supporting this story as it comes to its final chapters and the beginning of its sequel! This is the last actual chapter and then there is a prologue, but be sure to read it or you'll be slightly confused when the sequel, Hero, appears! Don't forget to answer the poll on my profile before Chapter Twenty Four comes out! Kat's currently in the lead! Ah! I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't look through or edit this chapter because it's late and I'm lazy. :) I'm so excited that I'm rambling now! I'd better jump right into the reviews:**

**Silverdragon98, I'm sure Cloud will think of something! Until then we'll just have to watch and see! And thank you for an awesome review! :)**

**Aliasmidnight, one miracle coming right up, my friend! Enjoy the chapter and thank you for the review!**

**Loopylooploop, yes! Cloud should get his ass moving pronto! We do need Kat, don't we? :) Thank you for your review!**

**ShatterTheHeavens, ah, but at least you had fun! I wish I could go do karaoke! It seems like it'd be so embarrassing that I'd end up laughing and having fun! Anyway, hahaha, yes, Tseng has finally given up his ridiculous pursuit! And we can always count on Kat to do the most outrageous thing she can think of... -shakes head- Ah, sometimes I don't even understand her! Hopefully our favorite spiky headed blond can talk some sense into her? Thank you so much for reviewing! **

**Russcull, ah, patience is a virtue and good things come from waiting, or that's how I believe those sayings go, eh? Tseng and Kat finally made up after a decade or so! :) It's about bloody time, honestly. Thank you for your review!**

**UnchainedMelody94, held captive and on the run, now facing her SOLDIER dilemma, Kat's usually always doing something monumental, isn't she? For some reason, the site isn't letting me review your latest chapter, by the way, and I wanted to let you know that I loved it! :) If the site stops being a butt then I'll actually review your story! Sorry about that! :) Thank you for reviewing!**

**Spells Odoru-Kaen, I'm glad you liked the twist! Sarah's reaction may be one to see, she hasn't disappointed us yet, I believe! :) And I did have an excellent time, thank you! Rosa and Sarah were so excited about the reviews and we played a lovely little game called Dragon Age, watched Supernatural, and acted like morons! Loads of fun! And I shall accept the cookies, considering cookies are my favorites besides cupcakes, and I'll give you another chapter! Thank you for your review, m'dear!**

**Axelxroxie, my lovely 100th reviewer, I'm already writing your one shot starring Sephy, so consider that your prize! And I think we know how Cloud handles this situation. ;) Thank you for your review!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own this epic game, Square Enix/Soft does. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Forgiven **

I had two days left, today and the next…I would be leaving the next night. I was given a room on the seventh floor after I'd been released from the infirmary. Kunsel and Larson were the guards outside my room, they'd also had to come and get me after I'd drank myself under the bar the previous night.

So, when the curtains in my room were flung open and sunlight hit my face, I was not the happiest person in the whole world.

"WHO THE HELL DID THAT!" I roared, sitting up and chunking one of my pillows in the general direction of the window.

"You pissed her off!" Sarah's voice came from my left.

"You said open the window!" Rosa yelled back.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I bellowed, my hands over my ears and my head throbbing, "I HAVE A HANGOVER! SHUT THE DAMN WINDOW AND YOUR FACES!"

Both girls went quiet, the light faded, and Sarah murmured, "Damn…The Mako _must_ be gone…You've never had a hangover like this…"

I groaned, squinting at them, "I feel like someone ran me over with…something… I don't even know…"

Rosa sat down on the bed beside me, she patted my hair, "Poor Kat…"

"If this is what real hangovers feel like then I'm never drinking again…" I groaned, rolling over and hiding my face in my other pillow, "Sarah…Rosa…make it stop…It hurts so bad…"

Sarah sat beside me on the other side, her hand on my head as well, "Oh, Kat… Kid, all I can do for you is get some aspirin because the Materia doesn't work well on you…"

I nodded, "Please…?"

She sighed, "Okay, I'll tell Kunsel."

She got up and went to the door, I turned my head so I could see Rosa. She smoothed my hair out, I smiled as she continued the gesture, "Mom used to do that…"

Rosa nodded, "You remember?"

"I've remembered a lot," I confessed, closing my eyes.

Rosa chuckled quietly, "You know…I don't think anyone would blame you if you walked away…You've had it hard, Kat…We all have, but you the most…Just don't walk away from us…Don't go back to Wutai."

I looked up at her, a feeling settling where my heart should be, cold and depressing, "…I have to…"

"If you are still planning on going…then that means you've decided to go through with the Mako re-infusions," Rosa murmured to herself, "…Why don't you ever tell us anything, Kat…?"

I closed my eyes, pretending it _was_ my mother touching my hair, "…I have to be strong…If I can do it alone…then everyone can depend on me…"

Rosa sighed, "Oh, Kat…No one expects you to be strong all the time…"

"I do…" I mumbled, I could feel a sob stuck in my throat, but I wasn't going to allow it to present itself. Crying was a weakness…I couldn't be weak…I was a General of SOLDIER, I had time to repent…to fix things…

"Kat, don't do this to yourself," she murmured quietly, sounding like she was about to cry, "You're not perfect. You aren't some Goddess. You can't grant everyone's wish, but you can save yourself the insanity that you're going to cause yourself. Stay here with the people that love you, be happy, lower your standards of yourself just a little…"

I looked up at Rosa as Sarah came back, "I'm sorry…I can't."

Rosa just kept running her hand through my hair as Sarah helped me with the aspirin. The older woman only said, "I knew you'd say that…"

Sarah didn't even ask, she only looked at me sadly. I closed my eyes and turned my face away from them, "What time is it…?"

"Noon," Sarah answered quietly.

Rosa exhaled, "When are you going to see Gast?"

I didn't reply for a long moment, "…I'll call him. Gast can teach Larson how to do the procedure…I'll do it when I get back…"

Sarah and Rosa didn't say anything for a long time…We all just sat there, staring at one another, and then Sarah exhaled, "Well, get up, Kat. We want to hang out with you for awhile since you're hell bent on going back to Wutai."

I sat up, looking at them seriously, realizing they didn't understand completely what Delarus's death meant, "Guys…It's not goodbye. It's just the end of another journey. Next time when you see me…we'll have lots of great memories to reminisce about. So, don't be sad, okay? We'll be together again soon…I promise you that."

Rosa's face changed instantly, "So…you'll be here…for the wedding, right?"

"To hell with the weddings! You'll answer the phone, won't you?" Sarah asked, grabbing one of my hands.

I laughed, grabbing one of Rosa's hands as well, "I swear on everything I care about! I'll do both! I'll even visit sometime!"

They hugged me at the same time, Sarah mumbled, "You'd better or I'll come find you!"

Rosa said, "We can visit you sometimes, too, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah! Of course you can!"

We all pulled back, looking at one another, Rosa wiped her eyes as I smiled, "We totally just had a chick flick moment!"

Sarah grimaced as we all chuckled, "Anything but that!"

We all laughed, then I got up and ready. I called Gast in between leaving and arriving in the main district. We went and saw LOVELESS for the first time together, going to Johnny's afterwards. Rosa ate something from Wutai while Sarah and I settled for pizza.

Rosa threw her arms in the arm excitedly, "I _love_ the guy who plays the one who becomes the hero!"

Sarah snickered, pointing a slice of pizza at Rosa, "You're engaged, you know."

"Eh, I can still look," Rosa said, waving her chopsticks at Sarah.

I snickered, "If you can look can I still touch?"

Rosa glared, "No way! I call dibs!"

We all chuckled, finishing our meals, before walking outside. Sarah had a look that crossed her face, "Guys, I've got to show you this place Zack showed me! It's so cool! Well, cool isn't the right word…more like serene, you know?"

Rosa shrugged, "Show us the way!"

"It's in the Slums," she said slowly as we walked to the train station, "Are you guys okay with that?"

"I've got no problem with the Slums," I said, looking around for the crazy fans that could appear at any moment.

Rosa nodded, "Yeah! We love the Slums!"

"Eh, I wouldn't go _that_ far," I laughed.

Sarah snickered as we got on the train, sitting together in the middle area. There was some guy sitting on the end closest to us, giving us these weird crazy eyed looks though and we ended up moving to the opposite end of the train. Rosa leaned over and whispered to me, "I didn't think they're were _actual_ creepers on the trains!"

Sarah and I both laughed. All of us scrambled off the train when it stopped though, none of us wanting to be near the weird old man anymore. We walked through Sector 5 Slums, heading to the place Sarah wanted to show us. We walked past a park and then Sarah stopped, running in front, turning to face us with her arms held out, "This is it! Mine and Zack's secret spot!"

Rosa and I both looked up at the church building, some places of the walls had deteriorated, but it was a pretty place. The stained glass windows were all in tact and the building was in pretty good condition considering where it was…I realized suddenly that I'd been there once before…with Cloud, but I didn't want to ruin what Sarah thought was a great surprise…

Sarah had walked to the doors, waving at us, "Come on, guys!"

Rosa walked ahead off me, almost running after Sarah, but I slowed down…There was something about this place that set me off balance. I could hear a soft hum, a buzz, coming from somewhere…Something that almost sounded like voices…

I shook my head, a hand against my forehead, "I need some sleep…"

I walked inside the doors, seeing Rosa marvel at the white and yellow flowers. I stared at the pond that rested in the middle of the flowers, I could've sworn it hadn't been there before. I stared openly at how much things had changed, but Sarah grinned at me, "Isn't it great?"

I nodded, "Yeah, it's lovely…"

_**'Sarah Kathleen, you who are one with the planet…'**_

I frowned, "What?"

Sarah turned back, looking at me, "Huh?"

"Didn't you just say something?" I asked, looking around in confusion.

She frowned now, "No…Why?"

_**'Daughter of Gaia…'**_

It didn't take me more than the second time to realize I was the only one who could hear it, and the closer I got to the pond…the louder the voice got. I stopped nearly ten pews back, waiting for something, telling Sarah, "I'm fine. I thought I heard someone…It's nothing."

_**'Daughter of the Cetra…'**_

She nodded, sitting next to Rosa on the wooden floor, both had their feet in the water. I took a couple steps closer, listening with all my might to hear the strange voice again…

_**'One day we shall call upon your powers…'**_

I frowned, thinking to myself, _'What are you talking about? I have no powers and I'm not a daughter of the Cetra…I don't even know what that is…'_

_**'Elaine, sister of Ifalna, mother to you, Sarah Kathleen, of the Cetra. Ifalna, mother of Aerith…You are the last surviving member of the Cetra race, Kathleen of SOLDIER…I am the Goddess, Gaia, and I am communicating with you and you alone…'**_

I almost thought I was crazy, but for some reason it just rang of trueness…I couldn't bring myself to call it a lie, _'…If I am…as important as you say…then why approach me now? What else would you have me do?'_

_**'Rest well, all is done for now…'**_

I felt my eyes widen, I accidentally said, "What? No!"

Sarah and Rosa both turned, looking at me in bewilderment, but I recovered quickly, "Sorry…I dropped something, but I wasn't sure what. I guess it doesn't matter."

They both nodded and motioned for me to sit with them. I stuck my feet in the water as well and heard the voice of Gaia once again, _**'Your task is done for now…but one day you may turn against the very power you serve now…There will come a day where you will wish that you would have gone with Delarus Leviathan instead of slaying him…and when that day comes you must remain strong. All is set on its course…even you…but the future has yet to be decided…'**_

_'…Gaia…Cetra or not…a day that you describe will never come for me…'_ I thought to myself, moving my feet around, _'Never…'_

_**'Rest, child of mine, Daughter of the Cetra, for all shall be revealed in time… Take life in its **__**course…and believe in love…' **_

Then I was snapped out of my little world, I looked up at Sarah and Rosa. Both were looking at me, but I said, "What was the question?"

"We wanted to know if you were going to hang out at Tifa's tonight?" Rosa asked, looking concerned.

I smiled, "Nah. I've got something to do before I head out tomorrow night."

Sarah shrugged, "Well, I think we're all going to be there to send you off tomorrow night…so we'll all get to say goodbye."

I arched an eyebrow at her, she made a hand gesture at me, "You know what I mean."

I grinned, "Yeah…I do."

We headed back to the main building since it was getting late in the day. They were going to another of Tifa's party's…while I was going to the one place I didn't want to go. I was still thinking about everything Gaia had said earlier in the day, now convincing myself I was absolutely bonkers.

Why would a Goddess talk to me of all people?

* * *

I let my hair fall around my face and my bangs across my right eye as I stood out on the very balcony that had changed my life forever. The stars twinkled in the night sky, so did the lights of the city, but it seemed like everything was brighter in Midgar…It really had been far too long…but I didn't belong here.

My place was in Wutai…

I exhaled, the gentle breeze brushed against my skin and I let my head fall back slightly, tilting my face upward. A slow smile made its way across my face as I exhaled heavily. I was going back to Wutai in a day's time, but…I would do things differently this time. I would answer the phone, I could do that now after all, with the Silver Crescent eradicated…It had been five years…and I was free. My revenge had been taken, the others were safe…my world was at peace for a little while.

I could _really_ relax for the first time in ages.

I gripped the rail with my hands as I opened my eyes, murmuring to myself as I realized, "I don't want to leave…"

"Then don't."

I didn't jump, but the sound made me react in the way I had for awhile. I let my hand fall to my waist, looking for my gun, but I didn't have it…

I locked gazes with him, "…Cloud…"

The blond looked loads better than when I'd saved him days ago in the Silver Crescent's warehouse…

* * *

_I stared, "…Cloud!"_

_He gaped right back, one of his hands clasping his other arm, "K…Kat…?"_

_His blond hair was spattered with his own blood, his Mako blue eyes were lifeless, and his face was bruised in several places…_

_He chuckled darkly, a hopelessness filled the cell, "…I'm dead…aren't I? It's the only way you'd ever look at me again…I have to be dead…"_

_I didn't even think, I went to him and pulled his hand away from his arm, "What happened?"_

_Cloud flinched from my touch, as if realizing he was indeed alive, "…I was shot…They threw me in here hours ago…Is this real…? Are you really here?"_

_"Cloud, you have to stop talking," I murmured quietly, searching my recovered items for my Materia, "Damn it, they took it…"_

_I decided to go the quickest route possible, I ripped the hem of my undershirt and tied it around his forearm. I helped him to his feet, an arm over my shoulders, "I've got to get you out…I've taken care of the immediate threat…"_

_"Why…are you helping me? By all rights…you should hate me…" Cloud said, sounding like he was about to pass out._

_I exhaled in irritation, what was _with_ the Midgar operatives? I sighed, "…To protect my honor as SOLDIER…I can't leave anyone behind if I've got the means to save them…"_

_Cloud's head drooped, but I saw the soft smile there, "…Angeal…?"_

_I smirked to myself, "Yeah…he's got a way with words…"_

_"Remind me…to thank him…if we get out of this," he sighed, finally easing his weight against me so I could move easier._

_It wasn't until we were out of the building that I got a good look at the man Cloud Strife had become. He looked like he'd been sick for a long time…He'd always had a pale complexion, but his face held the pallor of death. There wasn't blood just in his hair or on his arm either, it was everywhere, and it was on me as well._

_Five years had done damage to me, but it looked like it had nearly killed him._

_I dragged him with me as I walked, then I saw the camp up ahead and a faint yell…_

_"It's the Director!"_

* * *

Cloud's face had a healthy look to it now, the wounds were all gone because the medics had worked wonders, and he looked somewhat relaxed. He looked great…

He leaned against the frame of the door, his eyes glued to my face, "…Kat, you don't have to go…You'd make…everyone happy if you stayed…"

I turned back to the balcony, leaning against the rail as I looked over the edge, "No, not everyone. I'm needed in Wutai, anyway."

"That's bull and you know it," Cloud said quietly, "From what little Sarah and Rosa told me, it sounds like you haven't even been in Wutai an entire year."

I didn't turn, I only stared at Midgar, "I had things to do. Just because I wasn't in Wutai doesn't mean I didn't command Wutai. I am the Director, they know that and they have come to trust me."

"…Does that mean your troops are more important to you than your family?" Cloud asked.

I slowly turned, looking at him, "I never said that."

"You didn't have to," Cloud replied stiffly, and then I knew this conversation was going to end badly.

"You don't know anything about me," I hissed, clenching my teeth.

Cloud's Mako blue eyes said else wise, "I know that the Kat I used to know loved these girls like sisters, that she would do anything to protect them."

I didn't say anything.

Cloud and I only looked at each other…and then he asked, "How many times did you actually come into Midgar during those years?"

I jutted my chin out slightly, defiantly, "I don't know what you're talking about-"

"I saw you," he cut me off, "It was nearly a year ago, but you were here. It was so brief that I thought it hadn't happened at first, but now that I've heard your story I know I saw you that day. You do know what I'm talking about because you looked right at me."

I stared at him, "…It's none of your business where I was and what I was doing."

He gave me a long, meaningful look, "How much have you not told them?"

"What I told them is all they need to know," I snapped, turning to face him completely, hands curled into fists at my sides, "Is it not enough that I'm leaving soon? Must you press this subject any further and ruin what little of a nice time I've had here?"

"If it means you'll be truthful with us, then yes!" Cloud replied, pushing himself off the wall and crossing his arms. That familiar anger was creeping into his eyes, "Don't you understand, Kat? You don't have to go this alone! They're here for you! I'm-!"

I looked at him just as his face fell, a hopeless expression resting on his usually handsome face as I said, "You're what? Here for me? Yeah, I've heard that before."

He turned his face away from me, his own hands clenched at his sides now, "You don't understand what happened…"

"And I don't need to," I said coldly, my eyes still locked on his face, watching every movement he made, "It's the past and it can't be changed…So give up already."

He took a step toward me, his eyes meeting mine now, but I didn't take a step back. I stood there, watching him, as he said, "I have to fix this-"

"You can't fix what isn't broken," I snubbed.

He raised his hands, as if to grab me, but then lowered them as he shook his head, "You don't even see it, do you? You _are_ broken…so completely that you're shoving everyone who gives a damn about you away! If you hate me then so be it! But don't push those girls away! Don't push the guys away! Even if you don't want me there, at least let them take care of you!"

I stared up into his face, defensiveness rising within me like nothing I'd felt before, anger lashing out relentlessly, "I don't need _anyone_."

Cloud looked down at me, "…Are you that afraid, Kat…?"

For the first time in years, shock struck my expression, "Excuse me?"

The blond seemed to know something I didn't and went for it, "You're afraid that someone is going to betray you again. That someone is going to turn their back on you when you need them most. And you're throwing them all away-!"

"No!" I hissed at him, causing a tense silence to fill between us. Angry tears stung my eyes, but I wasn't going to let _him_ see, "…No…I'm throwing _you_ away. You are the one who left me when I needed you…The one who wouldn't listen when I needed you to…You're here for me? Where the hell were you then? Where were you when I left for Wutai? Where were _you_ when the Delarus-!"

I stopped, stunned as I realized what my real problem was, and his eyes widened as he looked at me, "…What happened to you, Kat? What made you into this lifeless person…? Who did this to you?"

I was going to say it, I realized, I was going to admit what happened to me to _this_ man of all people…

That I, the supposed Great General, had been reduced to nothing but another domestic violence case…a woman who couldn't fight back under the blows…I couldn't believe after everything I'd seen and done in my life…that getting hit around was going to be my downfall…

Cloud's hands were on my arms, gently, as he looked down at me, trying to get my attention, "The guy from the forest…What did he do to you…?"

I felt my mouth quivering, I didn't want to do this, not here…not now…not with Cloud. I had to deal with this alone. I shook my head as I closed my eyes, "Nothing…Nothing happened. I can't remember. I don't want to remember."

"Kat…Look at me," Cloud murmured quietly.

"No…" I whispered, hanging my head, my hair hiding my face as tears began falling, "No…"

Cloud pulled me against him, he was shaking as well, "You're safe now…Don't go back…"

And then it happened. I slumped into Cloud's hold, sobbing violently, "I killed him…This is supposed to be over! Why can't I forget it…?"

Cloud didn't say anything, he simply let me cry…and that was probably the best thing he could have done for me. I clutched myself closer as I sobbed, all the pain and nightmares, the anguish and fury…It all came spilling out as I stood there.

Five years…

And it was all my fault.

* * *

"What's going on?" Rosa asked, looking at Sarah and Zack as they both peered around the empty ballroom.

Sarah pointed at the room, "I saw Kat go in here…but she's gone."

Zack nodded, "I'm pretty sure I saw Cloud come in here, too, but he's missing."

Rosa shook her head, grabbing them both by the arms and taking them to the elevators, "Kat and Cloud have to work this out on their own. Leave them to it."

The engaged couple looked at each other as Rosa hit the elevator button, then at Rosa. Both suddenly said, "Rosa…you're a genius!"

Rosa looked at them for a long time and then said, "You two have had _way_ too much to drink."

They both laughed, but then Sarah looked at Zack, "Have you done what we asked you to?"

Zack looked uneasy, "Erm…no?"

"You're sleeping in the hall," Sarah said as she crossed her arms.

Zack got on his knees, hugging her legs, "Sarah!"

Rosa stared, "…and I thought _I_ was drunk…"

They all laughed again…

* * *

It was a long time before I could recover from my tantrum, but Cloud never said he had somewhere else to be-even though I knew he did-and he never left. I wanted to hate him, I wanted to blame him for everything…but from the beginning, it had never been him…It had always been me. I was the common factor.

I wiped at my eyes and Cloud released me, I sighed deeply, "I'm so sorry you had to see that…"

Cloud shook his head, looking at me seriously, "It's fine…Kat, you're human, too. You probably just had the meltdown of a lifetime, no one is going to blame you for that."

I looked at him, he shrugged, "Except yourself."

I turned, my back to him as I looked down at Midgar one last time for the night, "…I won't talk about it…Not in detail…I wake up sometimes and think I'm still Delarus's prisoner…No one needs to know the gory details…but…"

I turned back to him, "Thank you…for being here."

His mouth opened slightly, but he didn't say anything as I walked past him. I was almost inside when he called out, "Kat!"

I looked at him, Cloud's eyes were full of sorrow, and it was five years ago all over again for a brief moment. He shook his head once, "Don't go…I still need to tell you everything…"

I smiled, shaking my head now, "There's no need. I think…we've said everything we needed to…"

Then I went back inside and headed to my room…where I ended up crying all over again…

Maybe the old Kat wasn't dead…she was in agony…but the pain made me wish she was dead…

I wanted to feel numb again…

I wanted to be strong.

_'Help me…'_

* * *

"Man, just talk to her!" Zack said, walking beside Cloud about the next afternoon, "I'm telling you, even though she's closed off, Kat still cares about you! And I can tell, you still care about her!"

Cloud stopped, they were walking to the President's office, but the blond only looked at Zack. He then shook his head, a hand on his face, but then he looked around the hallway to make sure they were the only ones there. Cloud put a hand on Zack's shoulder, "You're my friend, my best friend, right?"

Zack nodded, surprised at the turn the conversation was taking, "Yeah, always, man."

Cloud nodded, as if agreeing with himself, "Just trust me on this when I say Kat isn't going to want to be with anyone for a long time."

A true wave of confusion swept over Zack, "What are you talking about? What happened?"

Cloud's hand tightened on Zack's shoulder, "Just drop this."

Zack put a hand on Cloud's shoulder as well, "You're the only one who can stop her from leaving, Cloud. You still care about her-"

"I still love her, yeah, but that doesn't change what happened to her!" Cloud said, taking a tone that surprised Zack into silence, "I love her more than I can even comprehend, but I am _not_ putting her through hell all over again."

Zack only stared at his best friend, words suddenly failing him as the worst situation he could think of rose to the forefront of his mind, "Cloud…Did…Did someone _hurt_ her…?"

"…I'm guessing the girls gave you the same story they gave me…" Cloud mumbled.

Zack frowned, "About Kat? She was working for five years, chasing that Delarus guy, right?"

Cloud shook his head, "No…That's not what happened at all…Delarus _kidnapped_ her, Zack…She was his captive for three _years_…I got the whole story from Lazard this morning after Kat gave her report…He beat her senseless the entire time…"

Pain filled the blonde's face as color left it, the Mako blue eyes stared at the floor, "…I should have been there for her…"

Zack's entire body went slack under Cloud's grip, the two spiky haired men were in understanding. Zack grabbed Cloud by both shoulders, "You have to be there for her now! You have to stop her! Even if you can't come out and tell her how you feel, just convince her to stay for a few days!"

Cloud shook his head, "I don't know how to say…how to ask…"

Zack stared at Cloud, "You love her. You'd always put her best interest first, that's what happened five years ago when you thought she was better off with Tseng, right? You just got angry, remember?"

Cloud nodded, Zack went on, "Just do what you think is best for her. Now, what _do _you think is best for her?"

The blond didn't reply, Zack frowned, "Oh no…you think she'd be better off away?"

Cloud's Mako blue eyes lifted from the ground, "…That's what my head is telling me, yeah. She seems…freer outside of Midgar, happier. If I do what you're asking of me…then I'll let her go, Zack. She doesn't _want_ to be here…not really…and I'm not going to trap her. She can't handle that again…"

Zack looked at his friend sadly, "Cloud…"

Cloud released Zack, the raven haired man did the same, but the blond said, "I'm sorry…I wish I could help you guys…but I just can't. I can't do that to her."

Zack nodded, "Y-Yeah…Okay. Sorry I asked…"

Cloud shook his head once, "No, you had to. You don't want her to leave either, but this isn't our decision. All we can do is bid her farewell when she leaves tonight."

Zack suddenly beamed, "You'll come?"

"I'll try," Cloud corrected, then he waved as he walked down the hall, "I've got a report to give."

Once Cloud was gone, Zack realized something.

"Damn…things are more screwed up than I thought…"

* * *

I stared out my window as the sky darkened, this was it. I was leaving Midgar again, but this time I was leaving properly. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply, my problems…I'd settled most of my issues with Cloud…the only one there any longer was unrequited love.

My big problem was going to be facing the three years I'd spent as Delarus's captive. It hadn't bothered me before…probably because I'd been so busy that it hadn't give me a moment to breathe. Now that I _did_ have that time…it was haunting me at every turn. If someone touched my arm, if I had a dream, if I closed my eyes…

"Director?"

I jerked violently, turning to see Kunsel standing there. I had a hand at my throat, my heart racing as I breathed, "Goddess, Kunsel. What the hell? Did you knock?"

"Yes, Director," Kunsel said, giving me an odd look, "Several times in fact, that's why I entered the room. I wanted to check if you were here or not."

I nodded, "When is the departure time?"

"About an hour, Director," he replied, "Shall I take your luggage now so the other helicopters can leave?"

I nodded again, "Yes…"

Kunsel saluted and left. I looked out the window again, there were several helicopters with the symbol of the Wutai Division leaving Midgar. All of my troops were going home…They must have been so happy…

I didn't know if I want to go or stay anymore…

I walked out of my room, took the stairs down a floor and found Sarah. She was standing in the hallway talking to Genesis about something, but they both stopped and greeted me when they saw me. I looked at Sarah, "Can I talk to you about something? With Rosa?"

She nodded, "Yeah, of course. I'll see you later, Gen."

Sarah and I walked to Rosa and Sephiroth's room, knocking on the door. Sarah looked at me while we waited, "What's up, Kat?"

"I just…I need to say something," I murmured to myself.

Rosa opened the door, looking oddly disheveled. Sarah made a face, "Aw, come on, Rosa. _Really?_"

Rosa glared at Sarah, "Hey, here's a memo. Shut up."

Sarah and I snickered, I said, "It's only seven or eight at night, Rosa."

"Hey, you get what you can get," Rosa shrugged, Sarah mimicked throwing up and Rosa shoved her, "Anyway, what's going on?"

I looked at them both, "I wasn't completely honest when I told you about the year or so I spent in Protective Custody."

Both made a face at me. Rosa crossed her arms, leaning against the wall outside the door, "What does that mean?"

"We moved around a lot," I said slowly, thinking about the way I was saying each word, "…I was in Midgar some of that time."

Sarah's face smoothed out, but the anger was there. Rosa gaped at me, "And…you didn't think to come find us? To ask for help?"

I lowered my gaze, "…I didn't want you in danger…I didn't contact anyone…I checked in on you all, you know. The silly fan clubs around here have accurate information…Anyway, I wanted to get that out in the open before I left…"

Sarah sighed, "How do we know you're not hiding anything else, Kat?"

"Because I'm not," I replied shortly, "I was here for a month, maybe two, and the time wasn't all at once. It was usually when we were in the area and needed supplies."

"…Did anyone know about this?" Rosa asked, tilting her head.

"Cloud saw me once, but he told me he thought he was imagining things," I answered, "It was only…last night when I confirmed it. I wanted to tell you instead of hearing it from him. I'm sorry…I just didn't think it was important at the time."

Sarah exhaled, "Well…at least you came clean."

Rosa nodded, "That's true."

I felt surprise on my face, "You're…not even going to yell at me…?"

"Well, you came to us on your own," Rosa shrugged, "We really can't ask more than that from you."

"Yeah, what good will it do if we yell at you? It'll just push you away," Sarah said with a hand gesture, "Am I mad? Yeah, but I understand that this is how you've lived your life up till now. We can't change you over night."

I smiled softly, "Thank you, guys…That's…all I had to say. I need to finish talking to Lazard before I leave."

"Within the hour, right?" Sarah asked.

I nodded, hugging them both, "I feel like such a sap…"

Rosa chuckled sadly, "Kat…You don't have to go if you don't want to…"

I smiled, pulling back from them, "Love you guys…"

They mumbled it back as I walked away.

I went to Lazard, bid him farewell, and then went back to my room where I waited for Kunsel to get me. Once he did and I was headed to the elevator I felt like I was going to be sick…

I was leaving again…

And it felt wrong.

* * *

Cloud was sitting in the office that was once Kat's, the one she never used. Sephiroth's was across the way, but the lights were off for once…He was with the others…sending Kat off…

Cloud turned his chair, looking out the window at the night sky. He looked at his desk, papers everywhere, and then back at the sky again. He ran a hand over his face, _'They should all be at the helipad right now…'_

Kat…He loved her…She was strong…but he wasn't sure if she was strong enough to make it through this alone…It was clear she wasn't facing it, he could tell by the way she'd broken down in front of him of all people…

Sarah Kathleen Davis, 1st Class SOLDIER, General of Shin-Ra, and Director of the Wutai HQ Base…A strong, beautiful woman with a dangerous, horrifying past…She had been forced to change in order to cope with her job…but deep down she was scared, terrified…

_'Where were you when I left for Wutai?'_

Cloud's eyes were following the glittering lights of the city below, thinking to himself. He loved her…She was leaving again…He was sitting in his office, not seeing her off…

_'I don't need anyone!'_

She did need someone…She was going to be alone. Who was going to be there when she fell this time? Cloud had a hand over his face, she _would_ fall again, he knew it. She was too unstable, too fragile…She needed someone with her.

_'You are the one that left me when I needed you.'_

She needed him.

Cloud stood up suddenly, knocking things over as he headed to the door, _'She's better off trying to cope the way she wants, that's what my head is telling me…but…I don't care! I have to fix this! She can't go again, not where I can't be there for her!'_

He slammed the door behind him on accident, Lazard leaned out of his office, "Cloud? What's wrong-?"

"I've got to stop her!" Cloud shouted over his shoulder as the elevator came open and then closed.

Lazard smiled, shaking his head, "About damn time."

But they weren't out of the woods just yet.

* * *

I hugged Sarah and then Rosa, a hand on both of their shoulders, "I'll call before I land."

Sarah put a hand on my shoulder, "You'd better or we're coming after your ass this time."

I laughed, nodding, "Yeah. I'll count on it."

Zack pulled on my elbow, hugging me away from the girls, "You'll visit soon?"

"I promise, and I mean it this time," I chuckled, "I have to come for the weddings, right? By the way, when are these weddings?"

Rosa's mouth dropped open, Sephiroth laughed, "She forgot!"

I smiled, hugging Sephiroth next, "Well, you guys get the ball rolling on that and I'll totally be here."

Sephiroth whispered in my ear, "If she starts talking about dresses nonstop I'm going to blame you."

I snickered, whispering back, "I'm answering the phone, remember? Just call me and I can distract her."

Sephiroth ruffled my hair as Genesis opened his arms for a hug. I accepted the gesture as he said, "Dearest Goddess, you'll be missed."

I smiled up at him, "You, too, Gen."'

Angeal was the last to hug me, a smile on his face, "I'm glad you came back…even if it was only once."

I looked up at the man I'd confided in so many years before, seeing a brother in him more than any of the others, and smiled, "I'll be back…and it was so good to see you, Ang."

He ruffled my hair and let me step back, a sad look on his face, "You, too."

I saw the Turks at the President's door, all of them waving, even Tseng. I waved back, the others turned to see them, but didn't react. The Turks and SOLDIER members were finally getting along it seemed.

Kunsel had a hand on my shoulder, gesturing at the helicopter about twenty yards away, "If we're going to make it by morning, we should go now, Director."

I nodded, "Okay…"

Kunsel walked back to the helicopter, I turned and looked at the guys one last time.

Zack sighed, "I'm sorry, Kat…He said he'd be here."

I shrugged sadly, "It's okay. I understand…I love you guys…Take care."

They all murmured it back to me, Kunsel was waiting with the door, and then I was halfway across the helipad when I heard it-

_"KAT! WAIT!"_

I turned just in time to see Cloud running through the door, Zack and Sarah jumped out of his way as he trip and skid to his knees. He was breathing heavily, I stared at him, stunned, but he wasn't getting up. He had his head down, hands and knees on the ground, and his entire body was nearly heaving with the deep breaths he was taking.

I continued to look at him, "…Cloud…?"

"Don't…Kat…Don't…go…" he gasped, getting off one of his knees, trying to get to his feet, but never looking at me.

I shook my head, "I have to go."

Now Cloud was on his feet, head still down, but he repeated, "Kat, don't go…You can't leave…"

I lifted one of my hands and patted his head, my familiar way of saying goodbye, "I'll see you around, Cloud. I promise, I'm coming back this time."

My hand was slipping away when he caught it, he looked at me then and the expression on his face took my breath away, "Cloud…"

He looked lost and scared, he pulled me against him, but his free hand tilted my head back by my chin, "I can't let you go…not again…I…I was an idiot and over reacted last time, but not this time. Five years ago, you said you loved me and I said I couldn't believe you. Tonight…I'm telling you I was stupid and didn't tell you what I was really thinking that night."

I blinked, fighting the need my body felt to run, "What are you…?"

His Mako blue eyes were shining, his face too close to mine, and then he whispered, "I love you, Kat, more than I can even say and if you leave tonight you'll be taking my heart with you."

I gasped quietly, "C-Cloud…"

"I don't expect you to say anything, I really don't," he murmured, his forehead touching mine, "but I have to try. I should have been there for you before, and I screwed up royally, and I really don't deserve to even look at you, let alone talk to you like this. I had to say it to you at least once, I had to beg you to forgive me, and maybe somehow you still feel the same way for me…"

My eyes were almost closed, my breath caught in my chest, and the panic going off in my mind was making me dizzy. I couldn't turn the panic off, it was blaring like a siren in my ears, I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't think long enough to form the words I needed to say, all I could think about was…

I opened my eyes, every part of my body suddenly relaxed as I murmured, "Yes, Cloud…I still love you. I always have."

An ear splitting grin crossed his handsome face, "Really?"

"Yes," I murmured, taking my hand from his and touching his face, "Really…"

I smiled mentally as his free hand wrapped around my waist and drew me closer that last inch. He kissed me and everything stopped for me, I was home. I let my hand that had been on his face tangle in his hair and press him closer to me, deepening the kiss. When we parted the others were yelling loudly, cheers and screams, but I only had eyes for Cloud.

He laughed and looked down at me, "I think they approve."

"That's an understatement…" I chuckled quietly, running my fingers through his hair.

He leaned down slowly and kissed me again, "I love you."

I grinned into his kiss, "I love you, too, Cloud."

We broke apart after a few moments and Rosa yelled, "So, you're staying, right!"

The grin slipped off my face, I stared up at Cloud, who's expression faltered. He murmured, "You _are_ staying…aren't you?"

I opened my mouth, at a loss for words, "…I can't…Not right now. I…"

Everyone went silent, I could _feel_ everyone's eyes on me, and I finished, "…I can't just leave Wutai without a Director."

"So…if you can find a replacement…you'll come back?" Cloud asked, a mischievous look on his face.

I nodded at first, but then I tilted my head and arched an eyebrow, "What are you thinking…?"

Cloud's smile was infectious, he murmured, "What if I went to Wutai with you and once you found a replacement we came back?"

I stared at him, "You'd do that?"

He nodded, "Anything to keep you with us…With me."

I smiled softly, "Yes, I would do that."

Cloud looked at Zack, "Cover for me, would you?"

Everyone was confused, but Zack smirked at us, "Have fun on your trip!"

Cloud ushered me onto the helicopter and Kunsel shut the door behind us. We waved as the others waved at us. Once we were flying over the city, I leaned against Cloud and sighed, "I can't believe you just left Midgar without telling Lazard…"

"People do crazy things when they're in love," Cloud replied off handedly.

I snickered, "Have you been watching _'Hercules'_?"

He shrugged, "It might have come on TV."

I laughed loudly, he grinned, "Goddess, I've missed that sound."

I rolled my eyes and leaned into his embrace, his lips brushed against my hair, "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" I whispered back, tilting my head so I could look up at him.

His nose brushed against mine, "For taking so long to realize I was wrong…For saying what I did that night…I'd heard you and Tseng talking, and I blew it out of proportion…I took it the wrong way because I left halfway through…I hurt you…in such a way…and I could have prevented all of it…and for that I'm so sorry…"

I held his face in both of my hands, letting my lips hover just above his, "I forgave you a long time ago…Sure, there were times I wanted to blame you for everything, but I couldn't…Because you weren't the one to blame…You never were."

"That's not true," he said quietly, "…We both are…We both took things the wrong way and this blew up into the biggest misunderstanding of our lives…"

I nodded in agreement, "You're right…"

His free hand was running through my hair, and instead of shying away I leaned into his touch, "I'm sorry."

"So am I," I murmured.

He smiled, "I love you, Kat."

I kissed him once, "I love you, Cloud."

He kissed me again and I was all right…

And then I knew…things were going to be fine.

* * *

**And finally Cloud fixes things with Kat! I know I couldn't stop smiling when I first wrote this, my thought process was along the lines of, 'It's about damn time! Why on Gaia did I keep them apart for so long again?' :D So, there's one chapter left, but you have to review to get it! Over five reviews and I'll update before the end of the week! **

**Answer the poll! (DO IT PLEASE!)**

**Review!**

**Give cookies to everyone! (I've clearly had too much sugar tonight...)**

**~Sarah~**


	24. Happy Endings

**Here we are, my friends, the end of Someday. I was going to have this chapter up a couple days ago, but the gorgeousness that is the Winchester boys from Supernatural distracted me. Hopefully some of you can forgive me? So, we got ten reviews for the last chapter and I think it's safe to say that everyone loved Cloud and Kat reuniting after so long! :) I've closed the poll and I was surprised to see that Kat won by three votes, Sarah and Rosa tied just behind her! Thank you so much for the support! Now onto the reviews:**

**Loopylooploop, indeed he did! I think just about everyone did a cheer as they read, it seems! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Aliasmidnight, yes, I believe I delivered on that miracle I kept promising! :) And I'm so glad you loved the chapter! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Russcull, Cloud and Kat are indeed finally back together! I can't wait to finally get my butt in gear and actually start working on the sequel! Thank you for the review!**

**Spells Odoru-Kaen, oh, my friends could beg to differ when I am on a sugar hype. Their rule becomes 'no more sugar for the next week'. :) However, I completely support the notion that you can never have too much sugar! Anyway, thank you for your praise regarding Cloud! I didn't mean to write him OOC when I started, but...I guess things just happen. I'm pretty happy with the way he turned out and I'm glad you do as well! :) Thank you for the review!**

**UnchainedMelody94, ah! Don't cry! I'll cry! But, yes, together at last! We can only wait and see where their path goes, I suppose! Thank you so much for the review!**

**Myloveispurity8, Cloud and Kat's confrontation was definitely intense! But all is well, or so it seems. As for Kat being the last Cetra...It'll definitely be a major point in Hero! :) Thank you for your review!**

**Silverdragon98, it was sad at parts, but I definitely think they put things into gear at the end there. Together at last! Better late than never, eh? Thank you so much for reviewing!**

**Randomchick300, oh, please don't cry! Crying makes me really sad and then I start crying, next thing you know we've got sad chapters out the wazoo! :) Thank you so much for your praise and for your awesome review!**

**ShatterTheHeavens, yes, it was the Goddess Minerva speaking to Kat, and I am so embarrassed. I think I accidentally started referring to her as Gaia. :( I'm so sorry! Thank you so much for pointing that out to me! :) So far I don't _plan_ on Kat dying, but y'know, anything could happen. No, I think Cloud's gonna keep his eyes on that particular woman for a long time coming. :) Thank you so much for reviewing and sticking with me!**

**Evilly-innocent, even Lazard was aware of what was going on by the end. :) The thought made me chuckle when I wrote it. Usually, I would give someone an odd look if they glomped me, but for you, my friend, I shall cope. *glomps evilly-innocent back* :) Yes! Cloud told Kat he loved her and hopefully they'll get their happily ever after! Ooh! Cupcakes and more sugar! Rosa and Sarah won't be able to handle me when I head back home in a few weeks because of my sugar high! :) Thank you so much for the review and the support!**

**Now, for my usual blathering: Once again, sorry for any mistakes or confusion. This is a bit of an AU/OOC story with a couple of my own characters tossed in. Please be nice. :) Also, there is a bit of language in this chapter amongst other things. You've been warned.**

**Disclaimer: Do I own Cloud or the gorgeous men of FFVII? No, I don't, but I do own the wonderfulness that is Sarah, Rosa, and Kat.**

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Happy Endings**

Cloud helped me off the helicopter, his fingers skimming over my engagement ring, "Looks like we're finally back, eh?"

I smiled at him, "It took sometime, but Kunsel is going to make a great Director."

"Sometime? Kat, it's been a year since we left," he said with a smirk, his fingers intertwining with mine as other helicopters landed. Some of my old troops unloaded my luggage and what little Cloud had brought back with us. He leaned over, whispering in my ear as we approached the glass wall that was the President's office, "You know the girls are going to kill us for keeping our engagement a secret."

I smiled at him, "It'll be brilliant."

"I still don't understand how you managed to keep it a secret from them," Cloud said with a grin, holding the door open for me, "With all the phone calls, I would have thought you'd crack by now."

"Mr. Strife, surely you know me a bit better than that," I chuckled, "I used to be apart of SOLDIER you know."

"Really? I never would have guessed," he laughed with me.

The President, Rufus, and Lazard were all standing in the President's office, talking, when we entered the room. Lazard came over and hugged me first, "Kat, it's great to see you!"

I nodded, letting him go, "It's so good to see you, too!"

Rufus and the President both shook my hand, the President shook his head with a smile, "It's a shame that you've resigned, Kathleen. We'll definitely have trouble keeping everything in check without you."

Rufus grinned, "You put in over fifteen years of service to us, Kat. You've spoiled us."

I grinned back, "Well, you'll have to adjust to the real world now, won't you, Shin-Ra?"

We all laughed, but Lazard turned to me, "Don't you two have a wedding to attend in a couple hours?"

I grimaced, making a hand gesture, "Matron of Honor, so exciting with the dresses and all of that stuff."

Lazard snickered, looking at Cloud, "I take it you two aren't going to have a huge wedding bash like Rosa and Sephiroth?"

"No way," I said, causing Cloud to laugh, "We're totally going off alone and eloping or something. That's one of the reasons I've put off telling Rosa and Tifa about our engagement."

Lazard looked at Cloud, the blond only said, "Hey, I've seen Kat's temper first hand. I'm wise enough at this point to agree and say, 'Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear,' to keep myself out of trouble."

I rolled my eyes, looking at my watch, "We really should head to Tifa's."

The three suits waved, they'd see us later, and we walked to the elevators. Many of the old troops that had come with us were in the second elevator, taking our things to our old room for today. Cloud leaned against the glass of the elevator, looking at me, "It's been a while."

I couldn't help the grin on my face, "But we _are_ back."

"Do you think Sarah told Rosa that she and Zack came to Wutai and got married already?" Cloud diverted the conversation, seeming distracted.

I looked at him, squeezing his hand, "If she already did that then I'm surprised she's not dead."

He chuckled, "True enough."

The elevator stopped and we got out, walking into the main lobby where two or three Turks stood in different colored suits. Tseng and Adrian, Elena and Yuffie stood there as well in dresses. We walked over to them, Yuffie squealed loudly and hugged me tightly, "KAT! You made it!"

I chuckled, hugging the ninja, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

I was reintroduced to Elena, considering it'd been over a decade since I'd first met her. Yuffie had been right, Elena _was_ perfect for Tseng. He had an adoring look on his face as he talked to her, a look I'd only seen on two or three men's faces. I patted his arm, "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said with a smile, his hand held Elena's, "Really good."

I beamed, turning to hug Adrian, "And how are you?"

"I'm great! Tseng's training me to take over the Turks in a couple years," Adrian answered as I returned to Cloud's side.

Cloud arched an eyebrow, "Really?"

"I'm young enough to know I don't want to be a Turk the rest of my life," Tseng shrugged, "Retirement before thirty five. What other company will let you do that besides Shin-Ra?"

"Kat just turned in her resignation, too," Cloud said, nudging my arm.

Tseng looked just as surprised as Cloud had moments before, "So you're no longer with Shin-Ra?"

"Not at the moment," I shrugged and then said with a secretive smile, "Who knows? Maybe I'll make a great assistant for someone in the building. Delivering paperwork and coffees, stuff like that."

Tseng chuckled, "Maybe."

We bid the group farewell and walked into the street, loads of people were everywhere. Cloud leaned over to me and murmured, "All these people…they aren't… attending the wedding are they?"

I shrugged, looking at him, "A lot of people look up to the 1st Classes. Sephiroth and Rosa have done a lot for this city. I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of them are reporters though. It's a big deal, Sephiroth getting married, you know."

Cloud had a smirk on his face, "You know, I never thought they'd _actually_ make it to the altar."

I held the index finger of my free hand to my lips, "Don't tell, but I didn't either."

He leaned over, kissing my cheek, "We'll keep it between us. Deal?"

"Deal," I murmured with a small smile.

We reached Tifa's bar, where there were loads of people standing outside, taking pictures. Cloud had to shove the door closed and lock it quickly behind him when people tried to force their way inside after us. I had two seconds to breathe when there was a dark haired blur zipping around the bar and tackling me, "Kat! You're here! You didn't have any trouble getting in did you? Your people sent the dress here about ten minutes ago! I was so worried!"

"Tifa!" I choked out, patting her on the back, "I can't…breathe…!"

She let me go, the red bridesmaid's dress was lovely on her, and she put her hands over her cheeks, "Ah! I'm sorry! I'm just so excited! Rosa's getting married, Sarah and Zack just came back from…wherever they were, and you're both here!"

"The amazing four back in action," Cloud laughed.

Tifa smiled at us, stepping back and making a hand gesture like a camera lens, "You two look great! You've got this weird glow around you!"

I leaned against Cloud, his hand tightened on mine, and then Tifa pulled an actual camera out of nowhere, taking an actual picture…then gasped loudly as she stared at the camera's screen. She looked up at us and then back at the screen, eyes zooming in on something before she gazed at us once more…

"You're engaged!"

"Oh Goddess…" I murmured to myself, hiding my face in Cloud's shoulder as he laughed, "It begins…"

"When?" Tifa demanded, grabbing my hand out of Cloud's grasp and inspecting the simple diamond on its white gold band, "It's so pretty!"

I looked up at Cloud, "This is why I didn't say anything…"

"How long?" The brunette demanded again.

Cloud kissed my forehead and then answered Tifa, "Four months."

"Are you serious?" Tifa asked, eyes as round as saucers, "That's great, guys!"

"Thanks," we both said as we looked at each other, but Tifa grabbed me by the arm and dragged me behind the bar to the back room.

She yelled over her shoulder, "The church down the street, Cloud! Everyone else is already there! We'll meet up with you in a sec!"

I grabbed the door frame before Tifa could pull me into her den of terror, I looked at Cloud, "If I don't show up just know I love you, okay!"

He laughed, "Love you, too, Kat. See you in a few."

Cloud snuck out the side door as I release the door frame and went with Tifa. She messed with my shoulder length hair, my dress draped over another chair as she hummed, "I'm so glad you two are back! You _are_ back for good, right?"

"Yeah, we bought a house outside of Kalm," I said, thinking of it fondly, "We're going there tomorrow to settle in…"

"You okay?" She asked, looking at me in the mirror.

I nodded, "It's just weird…A year ago I thought I'd be a SOLDIER and Director of Wutai Division…Now I'm going to be some house wife or something."

Tifa gasped, "Strife babies!"

I gaped, "No, no, no! Let's not think that far ahead!"

But she was already taking off with the idea, I shook my head, tuning her out as I watched the transformation in the mirror from Kathleen, ex-SOLDIER, to Kathleen, Matron of Honor. I put the red dress on next, it fell to the ground, spaghetti strapped just like Tifa's, but mine had a tie around the waist and a shiny beading at the top that was just barely visible. I put my earrings in and then looked at Tifa, "Things are going to change soon, aren't they?"

"For the better," she replied, giving me a long black coat to wear as we went to the back door, "We're all together again, that's what counts."

I agreed as we walked through the alleyways to get to the church, "You're sure you know where you're going?"

"I mapped out this route ages ago so we could avoid cameras and stuff," Tifa said, waving her hand over her shoulder at me, "I know where I'm going for sure."

I laughed quietly, exhaling in relief when Tifa pushed open a white door and led me inside. The wooden floors were shiny, the walls were a cream color, the pews were wrapped in red and white ribbons, the aisle had a red carpet up it, and there were a scattering of people standing about. Tifa pointed out a long, dark haired woman with her back to me in the same dress Tifa was in, "Sarah's over there and Rosa's probably in the 'bride's room'."

We walked down the side of the room, Tifa led me to the bride's room and opened the door, peeking in, "The soon to be Mrs. Crescent?"

"What?" I asked, looking at Tifa, "Sephiroth's last name…is Crescent?"

I snickered as Tifa turned back to me, "Well, it's a mystery about his Dad so he ended up with his Mom's last name. He doesn't tell everyone his last name because they'll laugh-like you just did."

I snorted in laughter as Rosa opened the door completely and grabbed me in a hug, "Kat! I'm so glad you're here! I was worried you weren't going to make it!"

"We had a close call," I shrugged, "The helicopter had some issues about halfway here."

"You didn't tell me that," Tifa looked at me.

I shrugged, "Wasn't important."

Rosa's dress was gorgeous. It had a flared train that started right behind her knees and went to the floor, the dress itself cut off right about the knees and had spaghetti straps. It sparkled under the light and shimmered when she moved. Her shoes were white high heels that had ribbons lacing up to the area above her ankle. I looked at Tifa, "You missed your calling, Tifa."

"What do you mean?" She asked, turning to go get Sarah.

"You should have been a dress designer or a wedding planner," I said with a grin.

"I wish," she sighed and shut the door on her way out.

Rosa beamed at me, "I'm so glad you're here! Ugh, I know I've already said that, but it's true! It's been an entire year!"

"We would have visited, but I wanted to get Kunsel trained to be Director after he made 1st," I explained, "It took a while to get him on the level I wanted, but we got him there. I'm officially a civilian now."

Rosa looked happy and sad at the same time, "…So you've really left Shin-Ra…? Are you sure it's what you want?"

I smiled, "I've fought for a long time, Rosa…I don't want to fight anymore. I'm happy with what I have. I just want to rest for awhile."

She held my hands in her own and then her eyes grew wide as she looked at my hands, "Kat…!"

The door opened and Sarah walked in, "Kat! You're here!"

I turned to face her, but Rosa had yanked my hand up to her face, "Look at this rock! Where on Gaia did he get it? Sarah, have you _seen_ this!"

Sarah sat down next to me and took my hand from Rosa, "Dear Goddess…It's perfect!"

I arched an eyebrow at her, "And when are _you_ getting married?"

Sarah glared at me, "Thanks, Kat. What a way to throw me to angry dogs."

Rosa looked confused, Sarah turned to her, "We were going to have a ceremony here so you and Tifa could be at it, too, Rosa. But when Zack and I went out to Wutai for vacation a couple months ago…We kind of got married."

Rosa snorted, laughing at out expressions as we waited for the bombshell of anger, "You guys thought I didn't _know_ about that? Zack is so easy to crack that it's not even funny! Plus, you write your name as 'Sarah Fair' when you use a credit card."

I chuckled, "I didn't know you did that yet."

Sarah ran a hand over her face, "I should've known you already knew!"

"You must be really distracted lately because I called you Mrs. Fair this morning and you answered to it," Rosa laughed at her, pointing at her face, "What's going on with you, Sarah?"

She shook her head, "I'm tired. It must be all the stress, you know."

Rosa frowned, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause problems!"

She shook her head, "Nah, it's fine."

We all just sat there looking at each other and Rosa sighed, "Oh, my Goddess…This is about to _really_ happen…"

Sarah laughed, "Oh, Rosa!"

I beamed, "This is so cool!"

Tifa knocked on the door, "Guys, we should get ready. We've got like fifteen minutes…Why are you all sitting there like that…? You act like you all know something I don't."

Sarah stood up with a laugh, patting Tifa on the shoulder, "Trust me, it'll come out eventually."

"That's what she said," Rosa muttered under her breath, I snickered at the remark as I followed Sarah out of the room.

Rosa followed me and we all stood in the main foyer, there was a lot of noise coming from the chamber just ahead of us. Tifa stood in the front, Sarah in front of me, and Rosa behind me. There was a song that came on and Tifa started walking down the red aisle, the people went quiet instantly. Sarah and I completed the dreadfully slow walk and stood at the head of the church, but all eyes were on Rosa as the song changed and she made her way toward us.

Sephiroth had smiled at me when he'd seen me coming up the row, but now his face was full of awe-an expression I'd never seen on his face before. I smiled to myself as Rosa reached the halfway mark, then I looked over at Cloud, who was Seph's best man-for reasons Cloud and I didn't really understand, we'd thought he'd pick Angeal for sure…Cloud looked over at me with a smile of his own.

I felt the smile on my face widen just a little as I turned my attention back to Rosa, who took the final step and now stood in front of me. The ceremony went flawlessly, even the 'I do's, which were done beautifully. Sephiroth kissed Rosa right before the priest even had time to say, "You may kiss the bride."

Sarah and I looked at each other when I turned slightly, both of us had smirks and arched eyebrows. The audience of people exploded into cheers, totally missing Sephiroth's last name, which was probably a good thing, and then the walk back down the aisle began. I had my arm wrapped around Cloud's as we walked, he leaned over and murmured, "I'm in full agreement with you."

"What? Eloping?" I laughed quietly.

"Hell yeah," he chuckled, "There's no way I want a huge ordeal like this."

"Me neither," I agreed as Rosa and Sephiroth led us to the large reception area. I sat on Rosa's side of the table while Cloud sat on Sephiroth's. I leaned over to Rosa and murmured, "Do I have to make a speech?"

"Aw, come on, Kat!" She begged as everyone else filed in, "Cloud said he'd do his!"

I leaned over the table to glare at Cloud, he smiled innocently at me as I rolled my eyes, "Ass."

I did the speech against my will and totally on the spot, but everyone seemed to love it. Cloud did his and it went perfectly, I beamed at him when he sat. There was a toast and then the married couple went for their first dance. I sat there for a few minutes and watched all of my old friends, acquaintances, and even old enemies dance and talk, just having a good time and celebrating in a momentous day. Then a hand tapped my on the shoulder. I turned and saw Cloud standing there. He held a hand out to me once others started joining the dance, "Might I have this dance, future Mrs. Strife?"

I rolled my eyes with a laugh and took his hand, "Why not?"

He led me to the dance floor as a slower song came on, I couldn't help my smile as he pulled me against him. I had my forehead against his neck, his arms around my waist tightened slightly as he pulled my closer, whispering in my ear, "Kat…"

I looked up, tightening my own hold around his neck, "Hmm?"

He touched his forehead to mine, lips brushing mine in a soft kiss, "I love you, Kat…"

I grinned, kissing him back, "I love you, too, Cloud…always…"

It was the end of our first journey…and the beginning of our second…Everyone got their happy ending; Sephiroth and Rosa, Sarah and Zack, and even Cloud and I… There were many more things to come for us all, but in that moment things couldn't have been more perfect. We were all together with the people we loved and cared about, with friends, family, and so much more…

And to think…there had been a time when I didn't believe in happy endings…

* * *

_**'One day we shall call upon your powers…Daughter of the Cetra…'**_

* * *

_**The End**_

* * *

**That is the end of Final Fantasy VII: Someday! I thought it'd be an interesting thing to say this, Someday was named after the Nickelback song, I'd definitely go listen to it if you haven't heard it before. I want to thank everyone who followed this story to the end, to every and anyone who reviewed, and anyone who just read it! The first chapter of the sequel, Final Fantasy VII: Hero, will be out within the next couple weeks as I try to finish more of it. Hopefully I'll see all of you there as Kat and the others go on their journey to save their world!**

**Again, thank you for all the support and reviews! It means the world to writers with that simple act of reviewing!**

**So, review this last chapter of Someday and get ready for Hero! :)**

**Sincerely,**

**~Sarah~**

_Last Post 4/28/2011_


End file.
